We’ve touched on him before, but for those unaware, Boston Celtics color guy Tommy Heinsohn is a beautiful, Category 5 homer when it comes to all things related to his former team. Seriously, even by local broadcast standards, he breaks barriers. Along those lines, he’s also equally as critical of anyone not in a Celtics uniform. Players who have fallen victim to Heinsohn’s comments recently include Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James.
So, congratulations, Al Horford? Quite a fraternity you’ve joined there.
Horford found himself in Heinsohn’s crosshairs after he led his team with 24 points in Atlanta’s 102-101 win over Boston on Saturday in Game 1 of their series. Apparently ticked by this — or something — Heinsohn proceeded to go out of his way and say Horford is “not a great player.” Here’s the blurb, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
They (the Celtics) had to be totally despondent going into the locker room. The fact that they turned it around shows what kind of heart this basketball team has. That is the encouraging part. The additional encouraging part is if they can go out and stay aggressive at both ends of the floor, they can beat this team because (Al) Horford, as much as you think he’s a great player, he’s not a great player. Get a man on him and he has trouble scoring.
Sorry, Horford. No Tommy Points for you.
Now, can the Celtics still beat Atlanta? Absolutely. Can one of the league’s better defensive teams slow Horford? Yes. But seeing as Horford is a four-time NBA All-Star, it’s safe to say Heinsohn’s comments are nothing short of asinine, which means they’re also right on par with what’s expected of him.
