Boston Celtics veteran leader Al HorfordĀ isĀ an elite shooter.

He just wants you to know and to take that premise seriously. After all, this is an era where analytics are extremely valued by organizations and basketball analysts alike. That said, Horford has the numbers to prove what heā€™s saying.

Shooting 44.6 percent from 3-point range on 5.2 attempts per game in the 2022-23 regular season, Horford has a career 3-point percentage of 37.4. Ironically, his playoff numbers are almost the inverse, as heā€™s shooting 36.4 percent from 3-point range in the 2023 NBA Playoffs and has made 42.0 percent of his 3s after 156 career playoff games.

Every season hasnā€™t seen him consistently being an above-average shooter. Nonetheless, his body of work proves that heā€™s in the upper echelon.

As he told reporters prior to their Game 3 matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, ā€œā€¦even throughout the season, I went through ups and downs.ā€

As expected, Horford classifying himself as an elite shooter set the sports world ablaze, with many chiming to let their thoughts on his 3-point prowess be known.

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Even Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla got in it, telling Horford that he was an ā€œelite shooterā€ after Game 3. Horford, who went just 2-12 from 3 against the Sixers in the first two games of their semifinal series, went 5-7 from 3 in Game 3 as Boston handily defeated the Philly, 114-102.

ā€œI just thought it was funny,ā€ Horford says of the reaction to his comments (h/t the Boston Globeā€™s Adam Himmelsbach. ā€œIt got kind of carried away. It really has carried a lot. Iā€™m hearing from a lot of people I havenā€™t heard from in a while sending me things about it. It is what it is.ā€

That said, Horford really isn't joking when he says that about himself.

ā€œI mean, no,ā€ Horford says, ā€œthe reality is that I am one.ā€