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Florida Gators Legend Al Horford Finally Gets His NBA Championship

Al Horford won two NCAA Tournament championships with the Florida Gators and finally got his NBA ring with the Boston Celtics.

Kyle Lander

Al Horford won two NCAA Tournament Championships with the Florida Gators
Al Horford won two NCAA Tournament Championships with the Florida Gators / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
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On Monday, Boston Celtics big man and former Florida Gators legend Al Horford became an NBA champion for the first time in his 17-year career in the league. 

During the 2024 NBA Finals, the 38-year-old veteran averaged 7.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game in five games against the Dallas Mavericks. 

He becomes just the third player in Gators history to have claimed an NBA title and NCAA championship, joining Marreese Speights and Corey Brewer. 

Before eventually moving on to the NBA, Horford helped guide the Gators to back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2006 and 2007.

Additionally, he is the 10th Gator to have won the illustrious NBA title as a player. 

Throughout his 17-year journey in the NBA, he has been on the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Over this span, Horford struggled to find his way to the finals, having to almost always deal with LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference in his path to the Finals. 

Then, he finally made it to the NBA Finals back in 2022 with the Celtics but lost to the Golden State Warriors 4-2 in the series. 

Now, one of the greatest athletes in Florida Gators history, Al Horford is an NBA champion after taking down the Mavericks in five games. 

During his time in the NBA, Horford has scored his fair share of points, grabbed many rebounds, dished out some assists and played tremendous defense that resulted in him seeing his name voted onto some honorable lists. 

The five-time NBA All-Star has made appearances on the All-Defensive, All-NBA and All-Rookie teams throughout his years in the association. 

Furthermore, Horford has amassed over 16,000 points, 4,000 assists, 10,000 rebounds and just shy of 1,500 blocks in his 1,264 games played in the regular season and playoffs. 

In the end, this win gives him what every player looks for upon entering the league and forever marks him in the history book as an NBA champion. 

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Kyle Lander
KYLE LANDER

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