BOSTON — Boston Celtics center Al Horford is the perfect example of basketball adaptation. In the modern NBA, where most players won't last long if they can't shoot the ball, Horford has survived and thrived despite coming up in an era when three-pointers were much less common.

Two decades ago, Horford was a freshman with the Florida Gators, a team who only operated inside the arc, which led to him attempting zero triples in his inaugural season. During his next two successful years, which saw Horford win back-to-back national championships, he never made a three-pointer. That trend carried into the NBA, as Horford didn't hit any threes as a rookie with the Atlanta Hawks.

Since Horford stands at 6-foot-9, this isn't surprising. Big men weren't expected to be perimeter threats at the time. However, basketball has evolved, and so has the reigning NBA champion.

Through 26 games, Horford has attempted 101 triples—a large share of his 137 field goal attempts. The 38-year-old has converted on 46.7% of his 3-pointers as well, which is the 47th-best rate in the NBA for players with over 60 attempts from outside the arc.

Horford knows his much-improved three-point shot has allowed him to stay in the Association for a whopping 18 seasons.

“I believe that it, for me, physically added years to my career,” Horford said of his growth as a shooter during a Wednesday practice. “It's been a great benefit.”

Why Al Horford and the Celtics embody the NBA's three-point trend

The three-pointer is especially vital to the Celtics. Last season, the C's led the league in three-point attempts en route to a title. This season, they're putting up a high volume again with a league-leading 51.1 shots per game from behind the arc. The Chicago Bulls, who are second in three-point frequency, aren't even averaging over 44 attempts. The Celtics coincidentally host the Bulls at TD Garden on Thursday night.

“It's the progression of the game. The evolution of the game,” Horford described. “My rookie year I would have never imagined—I would have never imagined 10 years ago—seeing that many 3-point shots being shot. It's just the way the game is going.”

The Celtics have used their three-point dominance to their advantage, boasting a 21-5 overall record which is good for the second seed in the Eastern Conference. In fact, the Green Team is on pace to shoot the most three-pointers in a single season in NBA history. This significant rise in threes from the Celtics (and most of the NBA) has prompted league commissioner Adam Silver to examine the trend and discuss its impact on the game and viewers, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“I think the game is in a great place,” Silver stated on Tuesday. “Having said that, we're constantly having discussions about whether there are ways to improve stylistically the game on the floor.”

For now, three-pointers aren't going anywhere, especially when it's increasingly common to see seven-footers launch triples from 30 feet away.

“At every position, as soon as you come into the league, guys are shooting them. They're comfortable with them,” Horford commented. “Whereas before, guys had to develop it here, had to figure it out, or they didn't shoot them as much or they weren't as comfortable. But there was a lot of value in teams' eyes with 3-point shooting. That's just the evolution of the game.”

With the help of former Hawks coaches Mike Budenholzer and Kenny Atkinson, Horford developed into a legitimate three-point threat. The seventh-year Celtic never imagined that for his game, but he understands how the three-pointer has let him and other older centers delay retirement.

“You either stick to what you were doing before, and if we did, we probably weren't going to be here much longer,” Horford admitted.

It's adapt or die in the NBA, and Horford proves that. His resiliency, flexibility, and willingness to change alongside the game makes him an excellent example for up-and-coming players and must be mentioned when he inevitably becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame.