Malcolm Brogdon reveals why Al Horford is 'special leader'

Boston Celtics star guard Malcolm Brogdon spoke to the media and gushed about Al Horford's leadership ability.

Boston Celtics big man Al Horford plays a Swiss-army-knife-type role for this team. On the offensive end, he can shoot the three-ball with the very best of them and is a terrific playmaker for his size as well. And on the other end, Horford is a switchable defender who uses his blend of strength and basketball IQ to make life difficult for opponents. But for all that Horford does for Boston on the court, he makes arguably just as big of an impact off the court with his leadership.

On Tuesday, Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon revealed Jayson Tatum- and Jaylen Brown-related reasons for why Horford is a “special leader,” per a tweet from The Athletic's Jay King:

“You know you have a special leader when guys like Jayson Tatum, a top-five player in the world, Jaylen Brown, another top player in the world, listen to him. … They want his feedback.”

Malcolm Brogdon: “I think the guy we followed all season, our leader is Al Horford.”

“You know you have a special leader when guys like Jayson Tatum, a top-five player in the world, Jaylen Brown, another top player in the world, listen to him. … They want his feedback.”

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) May 16, 2023

Al Horford, 36, is in his 16th year in the NBA and fifth as a member of the storied Celtics franchise. He averaged 9.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 0.6 turnovers per game across 63 appearances this season (all starts).

The former Florida star shot the ball with excellent efficiency from behind the three-point arc in the 2022-23 campaign, even by his standards — Horford's 44.6% three-point percentage was the highest of his pro career by a wide margin.

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and Heat will be on Wednesday night, and a big-time two-way performance from Horford would go a long way toward helping the Celtics earn a 1-0 series lead.