Fresh off their first NBA Championship in 16 years, the Boston Celtics are heading into next season with nearly an identical roster. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are still leading the charge, and Brad Stevens brought back almost everybody else on the roster to help his squad go for a repeat.
Al Horford, who will be entering his 18th NBA season, is already 38 years old. He only has so many NBA years left, but with Kristaps Porzingis slated to miss significant time to start the season, he’ll still be an integral part of Boston’s starting lineup. He’s ready to roll.
And he’s very excited to see Tatum and Brown ball out next year.
Al Horford says Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown look 'unbelieveable'
During a recent chat with Bobby Manning of CLNS Media at his recent basketball event, Horford said that Tatum and Brown are both in great spots heading into next year.
“They’re just excited to get back to it with us as a group,” Horford said. “We’ve all been working individually for us to start building this thing back up, but Jayson looks great. in great shape. Jaylen looks unbelievable as well, and I just know that they’re ready to go, and I’m ready to go, and we’re just excited.”
Both Celtics stars had to deal with a ton of drama this summer, all of which had to do with Team USA. Brown was snubbed from the team and Tatum got benched in two of the team’s six games. As a result, the media discussed both of them at length.
Now, the pair has a ton of motivation heading into next year. Rather than dealing with a championhsip hangover, they’re going to be in a great spot, and Horford is very confident in them.
Last year, Tatum became the sixth player in NBA history to lead his team in points, rebounds, and assists en route to a championship. Meanwhile, Brown won Eastern Conference finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP.
The Celtics are blessed with two of the best wings in the NBA and two of the 15 best players in the NBA. And now, according to Horford, both of them are going to be going into next season in unbelievable shape.
That’s a scary thought for the rest of the league.
Not only do the Celtics have one of the most talented rosters in the NBA, but they have two stars ready to take over for another season. And they have one goal in mind: Another championship banner.