Al Horford says he didn't leave Hawks because of Dwight Howard signing
Al Horford says fans in Atlanta or the Hawks signing of Dwight Howard had no impact on his decision to leave
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2 min read
While Al Horford was weighing his options in free agency, the Atlanta Hawks made the decision to sign Dwight Howard to a long-term deal. This reportedly did not sit well with Horford, as he didn't want to play alongside Howard.
Atlanta's signing of Howard, was reportedly just one reason why Horford decided to sign with the Celtics. Another reason, according to Horford's father, was the lackadaisical nature of Hawks fans.
From the Boston Globe:
"There wasn't as much motivation for him when he saw all the empty seats when they were winning," Tito Horford said. "He said to me, 'Dad, when we were playing Boston, they were down 15 points and they were cheering their team like they were winning the game. They're so into the game.' This is special for us, especially for him."
Despite what his father says and his reported dislike of Howard, Horford actually thinks the opposite. In a conversation with the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Horford said that he has no problems with Howard or the fans in Atlanta:
Q. There are a couple reports out there that I'd like to get your response or to clarify. One was that you didn't like Dwight, you didn't want to play with Dwight. True?
A. No, no, no. Not at all. I don't have a problem with Dwight at all. I think that he is a great player and he has a lot of ability and a lot of potential. It has nothing to do with not wanting to play with Dwight. I don't know if you remember but there was a time when I wanted to play power forward. With a guy like him, that would have been easier. It had nothing to do with Dwight. He's a good guy.
Q. Another thing was your dad said some things about one of the reasons you wanted to leave was the fans in Atlanta were not as good as the fans in Boston. Was that true?
A. That made me really upset. I was angry when I heard about that because I never felt that way. I've been here a long time. I've actually gotten to know a lot of our fans, a lot of our season-ticket holders with the Hawks. They've always been great to me. I've always been very content and happy with the way they've treated me and my family. Parents are sometimes a little more passionate about their sons and daughters. I can relate because I have a son now. So my dad, with him, sometimes he would come to the games and get frustration. His frustrations don't reflect on me with the fan base.
It's good that Horford is addressing the reports regarding Howard and his father's thoughts head on. He is not burning any bridges and will likely continue to be held in high regard in Atlanta and among Hawks fans because of that.
