Mutual Respect: What Kevin Love Told Al Horford After Game 5
Celtics veteran Al Horford opens up about a conversation he had with Kevin Love moments after winning Game 5
BRIGHTON — Moments after the Celtics eliminated the Miami Heat 4-1 in Game 5 of their first-round, best-of-7 series, Heat veteran Kevin Love approached Al Horford to share a few words with Boston’s 17-year veteran.
This year’s Celtics and Heat series marked the fifth time Love has faced Boston in the playoffs. And for the first time in almost a decade, Horford and the Celtics weren’t the ones heading home.
After nine years, Kevin’s undefeated playoff-series streak against the Celtics finally ended on Wednesday. In 2015, Love, an All-Star alongside LeBron James and Kyrie Irving for the Cleveland Cavaliers at the time, swept a young Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas-led Celtics squad in the opening round of the postseason.
Then, that same Cavs team ended All-Star Horford and the Celtics’ season in back-to-back Eastern Conference Final appearances in 2018. Boston avenged its Game 7 loss of last year’s ECF to Love and the Heat this year.
However, according to Al, reliving the past wasn’t the topic between the two aging bigs after Game 5. Instead, Love spoke about Horford’s longevity before wishing him and the Celtics future success.
“It’s a sign of respect, and I have a lot of respect for Kevin (Love),” Horford said Friday at the Auerbach Center. “He's had a lot of great years in the league, and what he’s been able to do — he was one of those first guys that really changed the game, whether it’s picking and popping or stretching the defense out. It’s just a moment of respect for the accomplishment.
“He was wishing me well — which is something I respect. He’s a high-class type of athlete, type of guy.”
Horford, 37, nearly three years Kevin’s senior, is the seventh-oldest player in the NBA. Love is 22nd. LeBron (39, 125 days) is first, and Kyle Lowry (38, 39 days) is fifth-oldest, but both players’ seasons ended this week, making Al the league’s oldest player still competing.
Before 2015-16, Horford, a vital piece of the Atlanta Hawks’ core at the time, was encouraged by Atlanta’s coaching staff to extend his outside touch from the mid-range to beyond the 3-point arc. In many ways, this slight adjustment ultimately prolonged Horford’s career and caught the eye of Boston’s president of basketball operations, Danny Ainge, ahead of free agency in the summer of 2016.
In his final year with the Hawks, Horford’s 3-point attempts skyrocketed from 36 to 256, which was one of the biggest reasons the Celtics courted Horford as a stretch big who could open the floor for Boston’s scoring guards while anchoring the defense up front. It was the direction the association was heading toward at the time. Eventually, it limited Al from less of the wear and tear that historically impacted the longevity of most NBA centers.
Today, most starting centers are encouraged to shoot. Back then, 3-point-shooting bigs came at a premium, and young All-Stars like Love and Horford were prime examples of why the rest of the league would follow suit.
“It’s special. I’ve found myself like that in the past — rooting for guys,” Horford added. “But for me, it means a lot. There are very few of us who are older; we’re some of the older guys in the league. So, I feel like when we see some of the other guys coming through, you want them to do well. You want them to continue to play at a high level.
“That’s something I’ve always admired and respected that — not just in our sport — but when I watch other sports, too. That’s something that makes me happy.”
With Horford thrust back into Boston’s starting five, Al’s looking forward to seeing Celtics reserves thrive in opportune playoff minutes. With Kristaps Porzingis ruled out, Horford’s approach to the game won’t change outside of starting.
However, increased opportunities for Luke Kornet and the rest of the Celtics’ younger bigs are certainly in play ahead of their best-of-7 series against the Orlando Magic or Cleveland Cavaliers.
“My approach kind of remains the same. I want to make sure that, defensively, I’m solid. That I’m doing the things I’m supposed to do on that end,” Horford said. “And on offense, continuing to stay ready in whatever I need to do. And for me, it’s continuing to impact winning. So, it doesn’t change now that I’ll be starting.
“Now I’ll be expecting guys — whether it’s Luke (Kornet), whether it’s Neemias (Queta), Xavier (Tillman) to step up and be able to play minutes for us when their numbers are called. I’m excited for those guys and that opportunity.”
If the Cavaliers, currently up 3-2 in their best-of-7 series, win on Friday, the Celtics will host Cleveland in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series on Sunday. If the Magic force a Game 7, Boston will take on the winner next Tuesday at TD Garden.