Former Gator great Al Horford to play in the NBA finals

The Gators have a representative in this year’s NBA Finals.

The Boston Celtics have advanced to the NBA Finals, meaning that former Gators center [autotag]Al Horford[/autotag] will have a shot at a championship ring. This is a big moment for the 35-year-old; during the 15 years he’s been a professional, none of Horford’s other teams have advanced to the championship round of the NBA Playoffs.

This season, Horford played in 69 games for the Celtics, starting each one while averaging double-digit scoring and 7.7 rebounds per game. The consistency of Horford’s performance throughout his lengthy career is impressive, as is his ability to keep it up as one of the old men of the NBA.

Horford’s Celtics entered the NBA playoffs as the second seed in the Eastern Conference. They carried a record of 51-31 from the regular season, their successes hinging on a stunning defense that placed second in net rating among NBA teams. Horford himself contributed 1.3 blocks per game to that defense, tying his best block numbers since 2015-16.

During the 17 games of this year’s playoffs, the former Gator has hit a bit of a hot streak. Averaging nearly a double-double – 11.9 points and 9.6 rebounds – he’s also carrying his weight defensively. In the series-clinching Game 7 against the Miami Heat, Horford lead the team in plus-minus with plus-10 despite only scoring 5 points.

There are some who believe that the length and consistently good quality of Horford’s career give him a borderline Hall of Fame case, and he has an opportunity to bolster that case in this year’s NBA Finals. Regardless of whether it’s fair, Hall of Fame voters have shown time and time again that they love to reward championship winners for their former teams’ accomplishments. Adding a ring to his resumĂ© may be enough to push his candidacy over the edge when it comes time for him to be considered for the honor.

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