Al Horford
Encyclopedia
Alfred Joel Horford Reynoso (born June 3, 1986) is a Dominican
professional basketball
player who is a center
and power forward
for the Atlanta Hawks
of the National Basketball Association
(NBA). Horford played college basketball
for the University of Florida
, and was the starting center on the Florida Gators
teams that won back-to-back NCAA national championships in 2006
and 2007
. He also plays for the Dominican Republic national team
.
in the Dominican Republic
. The Dominican Republic, an island more famous for producing baseball players, produced Horford's father Tito Horford
. Tito Horford was recruited by Marian Christian High School in Houston out of the Dominican Republic and attended Louisiana State University
, and the University of Miami
. He was drafted in the second round of the 1988 NBA draft, and played three years in the NBA and several more overseas. Horford's mother Arelis Reynoso was a journalist. Horford grew up watching his father play and fell in love with the game. In the summer of 2000, Horford and his family moved to Lansing, Michigan
, where he attended Grand Ledge High School in Grand Ledge, Michigan
, and was a star player on its basketball team. At Grand Ledge, Horford holds to this day seven school records, including most career points, with 1239. As a senior he was Class A Player of The Year, averaging 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks. While at Grand Ledge, Horford played AAU
basketball for the Michigan Mustangs, who were runner-ups in the Adidas Big Time National Tournament. He was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com
.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Billy Donovan
's Florida Gators men's basketball
team from 2004
to 2007
. He was a member of the Gators' 2004 recruiting class, together with fellow incoming freshmen 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 Southeastern Conference
(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 year's 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.
Horford and the Gators started the 2006-07 season with the goal of repeating as national champions. In December 2006, Horford missed a series of games due to an injury. Coach 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 third-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. One day before the game, Donovan announced that Horford would be unable to play. However, Horford entered the game from the bench to guard Ohio State player 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 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.
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.
According to an interview on Rome is Burning with Jim Rome
on March 18, 2009, Horford said that he finished his degree at Florida in the summer after his rookie year in the NBA.
Horford was quickly picked by many fans as a top-5 pick in the draft. On June 28, 2007, he was selected 3rd overall by Atlanta Hawks
in the 2007 NBA Draft
behind Greg Oden
and Kevin Durant
. Horford was considered to be an opening day starter because of his unique combination of skills such as the ability to shoot, pass, rebound and defend multiple positions. Horford made a big impact on the Hawks in his rookie year, starting 77 out of 82 games and averaging 10.1 points, and 9.7 rebounds. During his 2007–2008 rookie season, Horford was honored as Rookie of the Month on four separate occasions: November, February, March and April. His great rookie campaign made Horford a unanimous selection to the All-Rookie first team. Horford's efforts helped the Hawks gain the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks gave the #1 seed Boston Celtics
a challenge, taking them to 7 games. In the series Horford averaged 12.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.
Horford looked to improve on his rookie season his sophomore year. 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. Horford improved on his sophomore year, averaging 11.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks. The Hawks also improved, becoming the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference, but were swept by the Miami Heat
. Horford had a poor series, averaging just 6.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Coming into his third season the Hawks made some improvements to the team, adding shooting guard Jamal Crawford
. Horford once again improved on his prior year, averaging 14.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 2.4 assists. Horford was named to Eastern Conference All-Star Team, and in the All-Star Game he put up 8 points and 4 rebounds. The Hawks once again qualified for the playoffs, this time as the 3rd seed. The Hawks were swept by Dwight Howard
and the Orlando Magic
in the second round. Horford improved once again in his fourth NBA season, averaging 15.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 blocks. Horford was selected to the All-Star game as a reserve, and was also selected to the All-NBA Third Team.
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 81 || 77 || 31.4 || .499 || .000 || .731 || 9.7 || 1.5 || .7 || .9 || 10.1
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 67 || 67 || 33.5 || .525 || .000 || .727 || 9.3 || 2.4 || .8 || 1.4 || 11.5
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 81 || 81 || 35.1 || .551 || 1.000 || .789 || 9.9 || 2.3 || .7 || 1.1 || 14.2
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 77 || 77 || 35.1 || .557 || .500 || .798 || 9.3 || 3.5 || .8 || 1.0 || 15.3
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 306 || 302 || 33.8 || .536 || .273 || .762 || 9.6 || 2.4 || .8 || 1.1 || 12.8
|-
| align="left" | All-Star
| align="left" |
| 2 || 0 || 12.5 || .625 || .000 || .000 || 3.5 || 1.0 || .5 || 1.0 || 5.0
| align="left" | 2008
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 7 || 7 || 39.6 || .472 || .000 || .741 || 10.4 || 3.6 || .4 || 1.0 || 12.6
|-
| align="left" | 2009
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 9 || 9 || 28.0 || .424 || .000 || .667 || 5.8 || 2.0 || .7 || .7 || 6.9
|-
| align="left" | 2010
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 11 || 11 || 35.3 || .523 || 1.000 || .839 || 9.0 || 1.8 || .7 || 1.7 || 14.6
|-
| align="left" | 2011
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 12 || 12 || 39.0 || .423 || .000 || .769 || 9.6 || 3.5 || .4 || 1.0 || 11.3
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 39 || 39 || 35.5 || .465 || .250 || .765 || 8.7 || 2.7 || .6 || 1.1 || 11.5
with fellow center of the Orlando Magic Dwight Howard
. Horford has a younger brother named Jon Horford currently attending the University of Michigan
. Horford's uncle Kelly Horford played for Florida Atlantic University
in the 90's. Horford is a member of the Nike
basketball brand. Horford appeared in a music video for Ciara
's song Never Ever
. Horford dated Dominican supermodel Ada Aimee de la Cruz.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who is a center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
and power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
for the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). Horford played college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and was the starting center on the Florida Gators
Florida Gators men's basketball
The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
teams that won back-to-back NCAA national championships in 2006
2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball season...
and 2007
2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 NCAA schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2006–07 basketball season...
. He also plays for the Dominican Republic national team
Dominican Republic national basketball team
The Dominican Republic national basketball team are the men's basketball side that represent the Dominican Republic in international competition...
.
Early years and high school career
Horford was born in the city of Puerto PlataPuerto Plata
Puerto Plata is one of the northern provinces of the Dominican Republic. The area has become an increasingly popular tourist attraction since the late 1990s mainly due to its fine beaches...
in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. The Dominican Republic, an island more famous for producing baseball players, produced Horford's father Tito Horford
Tito Horford
Tito Horford is a retired Dominican professional basketball player who was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2nd round of the 1988 NBA Draft. Horford played three years in the NBA, two with the Bucks from 1988–1990, and a short stint with the Washington Bullets during the 1993-94 season...
. Tito Horford was recruited by Marian Christian High School in Houston out of the Dominican Republic and attended Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
, and the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
. He was drafted in the second round of the 1988 NBA draft, and played three years in the NBA and several more overseas. Horford's mother Arelis Reynoso was a journalist. Horford grew up watching his father play and fell in love with the game. In the summer of 2000, Horford and his family moved to Lansing, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
, where he attended Grand Ledge High School in Grand Ledge, Michigan
Grand Ledge, Michigan
Grand Ledge is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city lies mostly within Eaton County, though a small portion extends into Clinton County, and sits above the Grand River 12.7 miles directly west of downtown Lansing. The population was 7,813 at the 2000 census...
, and was a star player on its basketball team. At Grand Ledge, Horford holds to this day seven school records, including most career points, with 1239. As a senior he was Class A Player of The Year, averaging 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks. While at Grand Ledge, Horford played AAU
AAU
-Education:* Aalborg University, in Denmark* Academy of Art University,in San Francisco* Addis Ababa University, in Ethiopia* Allied American University, brand used by Allied Schools in California, United States* Alpen-Adria-University of Klagenfurt, in Austria...
basketball for the Michigan Mustangs, who were runner-ups in the Adidas Big Time National Tournament. He was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
.
College career
Horford accepted an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Billy Donovan
Billy Donovan
William John "Billy" Donovan, Jr. is an American college basketball coach and a former college and professional basketball player. Donovan is the current head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team of the University of Florida...
's Florida Gators men's basketball
Florida Gators men's basketball
The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
team from 2004
2004-05 Florida Gators men's basketball team
The 2004–05 Florida Gators men's basketball team represented the University of Florida in the sport of basketball during the 2004–05 college basketball season. The Gators competed in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Eastern Division of the...
to 2007
2006-07 Florida Gators men's basketball team
The 2006–07 Florida Gators men's basketball team represented the University of Florida in the sport of basketball during the 2006–07 college basketball season. The Gators competed in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern...
. He was a member of the Gators' 2004 recruiting class, together with fellow incoming freshmen Joakim Noah
Joakim Noah
Joakim Simon Noah is a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association . Born in New York City to a Swedish mother and French father, he holds American, Swedish and French citizenship...
, Taurean Green
Taurean Green
Taurean Green is an American-born professional basketball player who is a point guard for CB Gran Canaria, the Canary Islands affiliate of the Spanish basketball league Liga ACB. Green played college basketball for the University of Florida, where he was a member of the Florida Gators teams that...
, and Corey Brewer
Corey Brewer
Corey Wayne Brewer is an American professional basketball player who is a small forward and shooting guard for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association . He played college basketball for for the University of Florida, where he starred on the Florida Gators teams that won...
. He made an immediate impact as a Gator, starting at center in the front-court with David Lee
David Lee (basketball)
David Lee is an American professional basketball player who is a power forward and center for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association . He played college basketball for the University of Florida and was selected by the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2005 NBA...
. He helped the Gators win the 2005 Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) championship.
2005-06 Florida Gators men's basketball team
The 2005–06 Florida Gators men's basketball team represented the University of Florida in the sport of basketball during the 2005–06 college basketball season. The Gators competed in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern...
, losing three starters from the previous year's team. The Gators, with Horford's help, surged through the season, winning the SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
Championship. They entered the 2006 NCAA Tournament
2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball season...
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
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
. The Gators beat the Cinderella
Cinderella (sports)
In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...
story of the tournament, George Mason
2005-06 George Mason Patriots men's basketball team
The 2005–06 George Mason Patriots men's basketball team represented George Mason University in the 2005–2006 NCAA Basketball season, and is best known for their success in the NCAA Tournament, having reached the Final Four.-Season notes:...
, to reach the final. Then they beat UCLA
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
in the championship, where Horford had 14 points and 7 rebounds.
Horford and the Gators started the 2006-07 season with the goal of repeating as national champions. In December 2006, Horford missed a series of games due to an injury. Coach Donovan held him out of a game against Stetson University
Stetson University
Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I-4 corridor in Central Florida. The primary undergraduate campus is located in DeLand, Florida, USA. In the 2012 U.S...
in hopes that he would be adequately healed for a December 23 showdown in Gainesville against the third-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. One day before the game, Donovan announced that Horford would be unable to play. However, Horford entered the game from the bench to guard Ohio State player Greg Oden
Greg Oden
Gregory Wayne Oden, Jr. is an American basketball player at the center position. Oden is a member of the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA....
, 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 O'Connell Center.
On the final home game of the season, on March 4, 2007 against Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
, 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.
On April 2, 2007, Horford and the rest of the Gators
Florida Gators men's basketball
The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
became the first team to repeat as national champions
2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 NCAA schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2006–07 basketball season...
since the 1991-1992 Duke Blue Devils
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
, and the first ever to do so with the same starting lineup. Then in May 2007, Horford, Taurean Green
Taurean Green
Taurean Green is an American-born professional basketball player who is a point guard for CB Gran Canaria, the Canary Islands affiliate of the Spanish basketball league Liga ACB. Green played college basketball for the University of Florida, where he was a member of the Florida Gators teams that...
, Joakim Noah
Joakim Noah
Joakim Simon Noah is a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association . Born in New York City to a Swedish mother and French father, he holds American, Swedish and French citizenship...
, and Corey Brewer
Corey Brewer
Corey Wayne Brewer is an American professional basketball player who is a small forward and shooting guard for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association . He played college basketball for for the University of Florida, where he starred on the Florida Gators teams that won...
all announced they would leave early for the NBA.
According to an interview on Rome is Burning with Jim Rome
Jim Rome
Jim Rome is an American sports radio talk show host syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications....
on March 18, 2009, Horford said that he finished his degree at Florida in the summer after his rookie year in the NBA.
Atlanta Hawks (2007-present)
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
in the 2007 NBA Draft
2007 NBA Draft
The 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
behind Greg Oden
Greg Oden
Gregory Wayne Oden, Jr. is an American basketball player at the center position. Oden is a member of the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA....
and Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant
Kevin Wayne Durant is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association . A 6'9" small forward/shooting guard who is also capable of playing power forward, Durant was the consensus 2007 National College Player of the Year and the...
. Horford was considered to be an opening day starter because of his unique combination of skills such as the ability to shoot, pass, rebound and defend multiple positions. Horford made a big impact on the Hawks in his rookie year, starting 77 out of 82 games and averaging 10.1 points, and 9.7 rebounds. During his 2007–2008 rookie season, Horford was honored as Rookie of the Month on four separate occasions: November, February, March and April. His great rookie campaign made Horford a unanimous selection to the All-Rookie first team. Horford's efforts helped the Hawks gain the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks gave the #1 seed Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
a challenge, taking them to 7 games. In the series Horford averaged 12.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.
Horford looked to improve on his rookie season his sophomore year. On February 16, 2008, Horford played in the NBA All-Star Rookie Challenge
Rookie Challenge
The Rookie Challenge is an exhibition basketball game held by the National Basketball Association on the Friday before the annual All-Star Game as part of the All-Star Weekend....
. He had 19 points and 7 rebounds as the rookies were defeated by the sophomores. Horford improved on his sophomore year, averaging 11.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks. The Hawks also improved, becoming the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference, but were swept by the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
. Horford had a poor series, averaging just 6.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Coming into his third season the Hawks made some improvements to the team, adding shooting guard Jamal Crawford
Jamal Crawford
Jamal Crawford is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. He is a 6'5" and 200 lb shooting guard–point guard...
. Horford once again improved on his prior year, averaging 14.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 2.4 assists. Horford was named to Eastern Conference All-Star Team, and in the All-Star Game he put up 8 points and 4 rebounds. The Hawks once again qualified for the playoffs, this time as the 3rd seed. The Hawks were swept by Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard
Dwight David Howard is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy...
and the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
in the second round. Horford improved once again in his fourth NBA season, averaging 15.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 blocks. Horford was selected to the All-Star game as a reserve, and was also selected to the All-NBA Third Team.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Atlanta
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
| 81 || 77 || 31.4 || .499 || .000 || .731 || 9.7 || 1.5 || .7 || .9 || 10.1
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 67 || 67 || 33.5 || .525 || .000 || .727 || 9.3 || 2.4 || .8 || 1.4 || 11.5
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 81 || 81 || 35.1 || .551 || 1.000 || .789 || 9.9 || 2.3 || .7 || 1.1 || 14.2
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 77 || 77 || 35.1 || .557 || .500 || .798 || 9.3 || 3.5 || .8 || 1.0 || 15.3
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 306 || 302 || 33.8 || .536 || .273 || .762 || 9.6 || 2.4 || .8 || 1.1 || 12.8
|-
| align="left" | All-Star
| align="left" |
| 2 || 0 || 12.5 || .625 || .000 || .000 || 3.5 || 1.0 || .5 || 1.0 || 5.0
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 2008
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
| align="left" | Atlanta
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
| 7 || 7 || 39.6 || .472 || .000 || .741 || 10.4 || 3.6 || .4 || 1.0 || 12.6
|-
| align="left" | 2009
2009 NBA Playoffs
The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 9 || 9 || 28.0 || .424 || .000 || .667 || 5.8 || 2.0 || .7 || .7 || 6.9
|-
| align="left" | 2010
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 11 || 11 || 35.3 || .523 || 1.000 || .839 || 9.0 || 1.8 || .7 || 1.7 || 14.6
|-
| align="left" | 2011
2011 NBA Playoffs
The 2011 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The 2011 NBA Playoffs began on...
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 12 || 12 || 39.0 || .423 || .000 || .769 || 9.6 || 3.5 || .4 || 1.0 || 11.3
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 39 || 39 || 35.5 || .465 || .250 || .765 || 8.7 || 2.7 || .6 || 1.1 || 11.5
Personal
Horford was selected to be on the packaging of the video game NBA Ballers: Chosen OneNBA Ballers: Chosen One
NBA Ballers: Chosen One is a video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the sequel to NBA Ballers: Phenom.NBA Ballers: Chosen One allows players to live the life of an NBA superstar. The game features competitive combo and super-move systems.-Gameplay:When playing, your performance...
with fellow center of the Orlando Magic Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard
Dwight David Howard is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy...
. Horford has a younger brother named Jon Horford currently attending the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. Horford's uncle Kelly Horford played for Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
in the 90's. Horford is a member of the Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
basketball brand. Horford appeared in a music video for Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
's song Never Ever
Never Ever
"Never Ever" is a song by All Saints, released as the second single from their debut album, All Saints. It became a very successful worldwide hit and was the first of five #1 singles in the UK for the group. . The single was released in the United States on July 7, 1998, with a new music video. It...
. Horford dated Dominican supermodel Ada Aimee de la Cruz.
See also
- 2005–06 Florida Gators men's basketball team
- 2006–07 Florida Gators men's basketball team
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- List of Florida Gators basketball players