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Al Horford is the latest member of the Golden State Warriors.

The Golden State Warriors officially welcomed Al Horford to the team on Wednesday. Horford was linked to the Warriors for the majority of the offseason, but his arrival was delayed because of the Jonathan Kuminga contract stalemate.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Horford explained why he decided to leave the Boston Celtics and bring his talents to the Bay Area. He couldn’t turn down the idea of playing with players like Steph Curry and learning under coach Steve Kerr.

“It’s a great opportunity to compete and to win at a high level. When I think about the Warriors, I think about Steph and Draymond and Steve Kerr. Seeing Jimmy Butler here and what he did in that second half of the season after the trade and how they’re playing, for me, if there was one place I was going to leave, it was for this,” Horford said.

Horford admitted that it wasn’t an easy decision to leave the Celtics, considering Beantown as his second home. He would have remained a vital piece of the Celtics this season if he stayed, especially after they traded Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. They are also playing without Jayson Tatum, who is recovering from a torn Achilles.

Al Horford Excited to Play with Steph Curry

One of the things emphasized by Al Horford about joining the Golden State Warriors is playing alongside Steph Curry. Horford is excited to play with the two-time NBA MVP and is glad to not be chasing him around screens anymore. He is looking forward to seeing the greatest shooter ever in action.

“I’m excited just to be able to be on the floor with him and not have to chase him around and try to contest him and all that. So, the fact that we’re on the same side, it’s something that is special for me. I’m really going to try to take advantage and learn from him as much as I can. He sees the game in a very incredible way and I’m just going to follow suit and really lean on him,” Horford said.

Horford faced off against the Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals as part of the Boston Celtics. He had some big games during the series, but Golden State was too much and took home the championship that year.

Al Horford Unlikely to Play in Back-to-Back Games

At the age of 39, Al Horford is among the oldest players in the NBA this season. Horford didn’t play in back-to-back games last season for the Boston Celtics. Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area expects the Golden State Warriors to do the same thing to preserve the veteran’s body for the playoffs.

“Just like in Boston last season, Horford likely won’t play both games of a back-to-back for Golden State, putting more of an emphasis on needed leaps from (Quinten) Post and (Trayce) Jackson-Davis. Horford isn’t the same lockdown defender he once was, but still can be highly effective on that end,” Johnson wrote.

Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis can learn a thing or two from Horford’s experience and skills. Post can knock down threes like Horford, but his rebounding has been hit and miss. Jackson-Davis already has a couple of years of being the understudy of Draymond Green, though Horford’s a different kind of defensive player.

Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He’s currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David