Al Horford

Al Horford Horford with the Hawks in 2008
Photo by Chris NelsonPosition Power forward/CenterHeight 6 ft 10 in(2.08 m) Weight 245 lb(111 kg) League NBATeam Atlanta HawksJersey #15 Born June 3, 1986(1986-06-03) (age 22)
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Nationality Dominican RepublicHigh school Grand Ledge High School,
Grand Ledge, Michigan, USA College FloridaDraft 1st round, 3rd overall, 2007
Atlanta Hawks Pro career 2007–present Awards 2008 NBA All-Rookie TeamOfficial profile Info Page

Alfred (Al) Joel Horford Reynoso (born June 3, 1986 in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic) is a Dominican basketball player for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. He is the son of former NBA player Tito Horford and journalist Arelis Reynoso. Horford played collegiately for the University of Florida Gators. He was starting center on both the 2006 and 2007 Division I National Championship teams.

1 College career
2 NBA
- 2.1 Draft
- 2.2 Rookie season
3 Notes
4 References
5 External links

College career

Al Horford attended Grand Ledge High School in Grand Ledge, Michigan, USA, and was a star player on its basketball team. He was rated a four star recruit by rivals.com.[1] He entered college at Florida with fellow incoming Freshman Joakim Noah, Taurean Green, and Corey Brewer. He made an immediate impact as a Gator, starting at center in the front-court with David Lee. He helped the Gators win the 2005 SEC Championship.

He started his Sophomore season without many expectations. Many people did not believe that the Gators would be very good in the 2005-06 season, losing three starters from the previous years team. The Gators, with Horford's help, surged through the season winning the SEC Championship. They entered the 2006 NCAA Tournament as a number 3 seed. Horford showed great leadership as he and the Gators swept through the first four rounds to reach the Final Four. The Gators beat the Cinderella story of the tournament, George Mason, to reach the final. Then they beat UCLA in the Championship where Horford had 14 points and 7 rebounds.[2]

Horford and the Gators started the 2006-07 season with hopes of repeating as National Champions. In December of 2006, Horford missed a series of games due to an injury. Coach Billy Donovan held him out of a game against Stetson University in hopes that he would be adequately healed for a December 23 showdown in Gainesville against the #3-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. One day before the game, Donovan announced that Horford would be unable to play. Surprisingly, however, Horford entered the game from the bench to guard Ohio State superstar Greg Oden, a highly-touted 7'0" (2.13 m) freshman. Horford tried to contain Oden, holding him to just seven points (well below Oden's season average of just over 15). Horford himself scored eleven points, adding eleven rebounds in limited action. The Gators beat the Buckeyes in what is now regarded as not just a great game, but also one of Florida's best-played games at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

On the final home game of the season, on March 4, 2007 against Kentucky, Horford became the fourth on his team to score 1,000 career points, on a free throw in the second half. He needed 14 points during the game to reach the milestone, and scored exactly the number needed.[3]

On April 2, 2007, Horford and the rest of the Gators became the first team to repeat as national champions since the 1991-1992 Duke Blue Devils, and the first ever to do so with the same starting lineup. Then in May 2007, Horford, Taurean Green, Joakim Noah, and Corey Brewer all announced they would leave early for the NBA.

NBA

Horford shoots a free throw during the 2008 NBA Playoffs.
Photo by Chris Nelson

Draft

Horford was quickly picked by many fans as a top 5 pick in the draft.[citation needed] On June 28, 2007, he was selected 3rd overall by Atlanta Hawks in the 2007 NBA Draft.[4]

Rookie season

On February 16, 2008 Horford played in the NBA All-Star Rookie Challenge. He had 19 points and 7 rebounds as the rookies were defeated by the sophomores.[5]

During his 2007-2008 Rookie season, Horford was honored as Rookie of the Month on four (4) separate occasions; November, February, March and April. [6]

Horford ranked first among rookies in double doubles (25), as well as rebounds (9.7 rpg), which was 13th among all NBA players. Among first year players, Horford also finished sixth in scoring (10.1 ppg).

On May 1, 2008 he finished second in voting to the Seattle Supersonics' Kevin Durant for Rookie of the Year.

On May 13, 2008, he was the only unanimous selection to the 2008 Rookie First Team.

During the 2007-2008 playoffs Horford managed 12.6 PPG 10.4 RPG 1.0 BPG

Notes

Horford was selected to be on the packaging of the of the video game NBA Ballers: Chosen One with fellow center of the Orlando Magic Dwight Howard.[7]