Just as his new contract with the Philadelphia 76ers was made official, veteran big man Al Horford thanked the Boston Celtics and their fans for the love and support they showed him over the past three years:

Horford joined the Celtics back in 2016 and immediately became a vital piece to the team, as he helped them make the Eastern Conference Finals twice. Unfortunately, they were not able to get past the Cleveland Cavaliers, who prevented them from making the NBA Finals in 2017 and 2018.

Still, the Celtics hoped that 2019 was finally going to be their year as Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward both returned from injuries. But instead of a smooth-sailing season, Boston had a lot of bumps in the road to the 2019 playoffs, and when they eventually made it there as the fifth seed, they were dismantled by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round.

The Celtics clearly wanted Horford to stay, but the former All-Star chose the Sixers in free agency.

Horford averaged 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in his three seasons with Boston.

Now, Big Al is with another championship contending team, as his arrival in Philly helps mitigate the loss of Jimmy Butler. A lot of people are already raving about how good the Sixers will be defensively, with some even going as far as saying they will make it to the NBA Finals next year.

Horford may have failed to help the Celtics win an NBA championship, but he gave everything he had for the franchise and the city. He has no regrets as he opens another chapter in his career, and this time, he's hoping to finally win that elusive title.