Al Horford

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. On December 24, 2011, he married singer and 2003 Miss Universe Amelia Vega.^[1]

Early years and high school career

Horford was born in the city of Puerto Plata 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.^[2] He was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com.^[3]

College career

Horford accepted an athletic scholarship 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.^[4]

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.^[5]

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.

NBA

Atlanta Hawks (2007-present)

Horford was quickly picked by many fans as a top-5 pick in the draft.^[6] On June 28, 2007, he was selected 3rd overall by Atlanta Hawks in the 2007 NBA Draft behind Greg Oden and Kevin Durant.^[7] 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.^[8] 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.^[9] 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.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Personal

Horford was selected to be on the packaging of the video game NBA Ballers: Chosen One with fellow center of the Orlando Magic Dwight Howard.^[10] Horford has a younger brother named Jon Horford currently attending the University of Michigan. Horford's father Tito Horford was an NBA player. Horford's uncle Kelly Horford played for Florida Atlantic University in the 90's.^[11] Horford is a member of the Nike basketball brand.^[12] Horford appeared in a music video for Ciara's song Never Ever. He married former Miss Universe Amelia Vega on December 24, 2011, in the Dominican Republic.^[13]

See also

• 2005–06 Florida Gators men's basketball team
• 2006–07 Florida Gators men's basketball team
• Florida Gators
• List of Florida Gators basketball players

References

External links

• The official Website of Al Horford
• Al Horford at NBA.com
• Official Florida bio