A Possible Last Dance for Former Florida Gators Great Al Horford

Former Florida Gators great Al Horford could be facing his final chance at an NBA Championship, but another former Florida Gator stands in his way as the Boston Celtics face the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

Former Florida Gators center Al Horford / Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

With the NBA Eastern Conference finals primed and ready to begin on Tuesday between the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers, two former Florida Gators find themselves pitted against one another for a chance at glory.

For the Celtics, they play home to one of the best Gator basketball players to ever wear the Orange & Blue in Al Horford. As many Gator fans will remember, Horford was a part of the back-to-back national championship winning teams for the Gators in 2006 and 2007. 

Horford, who is in his 17th year in the NBA, will have the chance to for redemption if he is able to advance to the NBA Finals. The only other time he made it to the NBA Finals was in the 2021-22 season where he and the Celtics lost to the Golden State Warriors. 

In the series against the Warriors, Horford averaged 12.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists per game and shot a stunning 62.5 percent from behind the arc. 

On the flip side, former Gators’ guard Andrew Nembhard plays his basketball in Indiana for the Pacers. Nembhard spent his first two seasons in college playing for the Gators before transferring to the Gonzaga Bulldogs for his final two years. 

He has carved out a tidy role for himself on this team and has become one of the more important players for this Pacers team, but it will not be an easy task in taking down the heavily favored Boston Celtics.  Nembhard has averaged 31.9 minutes, contributing 13.0 points and 4.8 assists for the Pacers this postseason.

In his first postseason, Nembhard now has his first opportunity for a NBA finals appearance if he and his teammates manage to take down the giants of the Eastern Conference. 

One of these two will be heading on an extended vacation while the other continues forward playing Larry O’Brien trophy and maybe get their first ring of their NBA career. This could be the last chance for Horford while Nembhard is just beginning his journey.

No matter the outcome of this series, a Florida Gator will be playing on the biggest stage of basketball.