It seems Isaiah Thomas wasn’t the only Celtic trying to recruit Kevin Durant to join the team.
The newest Celtic Al Horford acknowledged that he had conversations with Durant about the two playing together in Boston.
“I can say he did consider the possibility,” Horford said in an interview with CSN’s Kyle Draper and Brian Scalabrine. “He had to do what’s best for him.”
Durant eventually signed a four-year, $113 million deal to play for the Golden State Warriors.
Horford mentioned several reasons for his decision to leave the Atlanta Hawks after nine seasons and sign with Boston.
Among them being coach Brad Stevens, who is shaping up to be one of the bigger draws for players when it comes to the Celtics.
“He’s a very smart coach,” Horford said. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about him. He cares about family. That’s important to me.”
The addition of Horford provides the Celtics with more than just a veteran presence in the frontcourt.
Horford has been among the better two-way big men in the NBA in recent years, evident by the nine-year veteran being named to four All-Star teams.
The Celtics are well aware that the addition of Horford makes them better, but in itself doesn’t catapult them back into the upper echelon of the NBA.
While the goal remains to eventually be in the hunt for bringing Boston Banner 18, Horford is viewed as a significant step in that direction.
And to think, it was just three years ago when the Celtics had all but dismantled the team that won Banner 17 with Doc Rivers heading to the Los Angeles Clippers and the Celtics trading away Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
And yet here they are, a team that has been to the postseason each of the last two seasons and have enjoyed steady improvement under Stevens.
“Three years in, those could have been the first three in 10 years of darkness,” said Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck.
But there are no dark days on the horizon for the Celtics, a proud franchise whose future seems bright as ever with the addition of Horford.