Al Horford is well aware that he is getting up there in age, but the Oklahoma City Thunder made sure to remind him anyway. Prior to tip-off of the Thunder's 140-103 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday, Horford was included in the injury report list. While other players were revealed to be out due to knee and foot issues, the 34-year-old center was listed as unavailable simply because he was “old.”
Hope Al Horford recovers soon. pic.twitter.com/Z0QlO1JMMO
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) April 3, 2021
Ouch. The Thunder definitely did him dirty on this one.
This kind of humor, of course, is not new around the league since the San Antonio Spurs did the same to their beloved legend Tim Duncan a few years back.
While Horford is indeed much older than his OKC teammates, it's not exactly the real reason he will sit out the rest of the 2020-21 campaign. The five-time All-Star has willingly agreed to take a step back and make way for the development of the team's young frontcourt.
The Thunder brass failed to move Horford before the deadline, but he will stay with the team on the bench as a mentor and vocal leader for its promising core. Both parties have already agreed to amicably part ways in the offseason, by sending Horford to a contender of his wish, of course.
The Dominican big man, after all, is still a dependable frontcourt player who can bolster any contender with his two-way presence. Meanwhile, not a lot of players in the league would take such demotion in a graceful manner as Horford did. This just speaks to Old Man Al's professionalism and character.
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