Not a lot of fans have fond memories about the Al Horford experience with the Philadelphia 76ers –– one that lasted for just a single campaign. His foray into the franchise back in 2019 was always strange on right from the beginning, so it was certainly not surprising that it ended the way it did. The fact that he later went on to return to the Celtics and won a championship there has made him an even less popular figure in Philly.
Having said that, the former 76ers vet has had for himself a hell of a career. Unfortunately for him, his NBA stint seems poised to end in an unceremonious fashion. Now with the Warriors, his days as a pro might already be on life support, especially with his current ball club facing a legitimate risk of missing the postseason entirely.
After a very successful second stint in Boston, Horford — sensing danger with the Celtics missing Jayson Tatum –– trumped retirement talks and signed with Golden State. However, the Dubs are far away from contention this season, and despite him still having a player option to return for the following campaign, there is now little incentive for him to return for another go-round.
Former 76ers veteran Al Horford seems set to have a sour end to his NBA career
As of writing, the Warriors are touting a 33-37 win-loss card, which places them at 10th place in the brutal Western Conference. They are basically locked in to make the play-in tournament, but with Steph Curry still sidelined and Jimmy Butler done for the year, not a lot of people would even give them a fighting chance to sneak into the playoffs with their ragtag lineups.
Horford, for his part, has been pretty vanilla this season. He has never been one to let his lack of athleticism dictate what he can do on the floor, but suffice to say that he has looked his age with the Dubs.
He went to San Francisco to have a bigger chance to compete for another title, but that ultimately ended up being a gross miscalculation. Meanwhile, the team he left is slotted in second place in the East, looking like a bona fide contender despite having just welcomed Jayson Tatum back from his injury.
As such, this might be it for former 76ers big man. He had a career only few could hope to have, but his end point looks like it will not be as eventful as he thought it would be.