BOSTON — The Boston Celtics brought Al Horford out for the media on Friday even as they wait for their new deal with the former Atlanta Hawks big man to be approved by the league office.
Owner Wyc Grousbeck said that was just a formality, and he welcomed Horford to Boston. "We're welcoming Al Horford in as family to Boston and looking forward to the future," Grousbeck told the media Friday. Grousbeck would go on to say," He is a man who plays basketball the right way, and reminds me of the great Celtics of the past, he believes in Celtic pride and we believe in him."
Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge reiterated Grousbeck's thoughts saying, "He plays the way that great Celtics of the past have played. He plays with a passion that is contagious to his teammates." Ainge added that "I think he is a player that our fans will fall in love with."
Horford agreed to a four-year, $113 million contract in the first hour of NBA free agency last week. He'll be the biggest free agent ever signed by the league's most decorated franchise. Horford expressed his excitement saying, "I'm very grateful, I'm very excited for this opportunity." Horford continued by saying, "I have a lot of respect of this organization. I always admired the Celtics from afar."
The Celtics had hoped signing Horford would help them land an even bigger fish. But Kevin Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors instead.
For the Horford news conference, the Celtics changed all the numbers on the practice facility scoreboards to "18."
That's because the Celtics are hoping Horford can lead them to their 18th NBA title.
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