Al Horford
In order to be successful you need to have a good team with a good core, so my whole thing is that I was always encouraging my teammates, and I try to lead them by example to play together, to play as a team.
I had a great situation in Atlanta.
Coach Donovan always harped on making sure that we're on the same page, that we're feeding off each other, and that's one of the things that I feel like I add value to.
Mike Bibby was a huge help for me on the court, giving me advice pick-and-roll wise, where to get my shots, things to do.
There are always a lot of guys that have potential, but to make it a certain amount of years in the league, it takes more than just potential. You have to be professional, you have to be a good teammate, do things the right way. So now, any chance I get to talk to younger guys, I do it.
It just depends on what's asked of me, but normally I'm looking to make the right, easy play. So if I can get a teammate a layup, if I can get him an open shot, I just think that gets the ball moving and I feel like it makes everybody feel good and we get into a better offensive rhythm.
I always tried to be a guy that plays hard and was committed to giving his all, on and off the court. So that's something I'm really proud of.
Being on the road is hard, and just being able to come home, and have our fans rally behind us, it's good for a change.
There'd be days I was in the locker room with my dad doing media, and there'd be other days that I'd be with my mom in the press box and just kind of looking at stuff from that point of view. I'd see guys writing stories after the game and stuff like that. So it was cool to me to see both sides.
As athletes, we're always trained to play through stuff. And I've played through all types of injuries - ankle sprains, shoulder, whatever - and with the brain it's just different.
Concussions, you have to be really honest with yourself, and sometimes that's hard to do.
I think that in Atlanta I was hoping that things would have worked out. Once I saw that things weren't going to work out, I saw what was going to be the best situation for me to try to win an NBA championship.
Parents are sometimes a little more passionate about their sons and daughters.
It's good to have expectations, I believe. You want to come out and you want to compete. You want to do special things.
I feel like you always learn different things from different teams.
What I've understood is that you have to put in the work, games need to be played, you have to do things the right way consistently.
I'm about helping my team win.
The way I've always approached it is if we're winning and people want to talk about me, it's fine. If we're losing, then you really get on me, and I'll definitely try to be better to help us win. But I'm fine with it, as long as we're winning and we're playing good basketball.
With me, and people know this, since I've gotten to the league the first day I've always been about trying to help my team win, trying to play for my teammates. That's just the way that I am.
I'm very appreciative to the people of Atlanta, forever.
Any time you can get easy baskets, it's a big deal.
My time in Boston was great.
When I went up there it was with one goal was to win a championship. Obviously that didn't happen but I don't have one bad thing to say about my time in Boston.
Everybody has their opinion. I respect anything that anybody has to say.
Sometimes I feel like I have a good shot, and then I see somebody that has a better shot.
There are some games where I will look to be more aggressive and score more, and then there are games that I want to be more of a playmaker.
Being a presence on the defensive end, I know that's important to me, I have to establish that.
I always admired the Celtics from afar.
I'm just very happy that the Celtics really take the time and they consider us not only as players, but as people, and people that have families.
It's a blessing to be an NBA player and to be in a position to help other people.
It makes me happy to know that I've been able to impact people's lives.
I'm committed to giving back to the community and will continue to do whatever I can to help people in need.
It's the Playoffs. This is what you play for.
I'll continue to take what the defense gives me. That's the way that I've always played.
Oh, I'm sure there's definitely people that don't like me.
I've been lucky enough to always recognize to leave stuff on the court, on the court.
I don't have a problem with anybody. Until I get on the court.
Atlanta is a city that welcomed me from the first day.
It's been important for me to realize that, in every experience, I feel like I can learn something, grow and get stronger.
I do realize that it's important to be a threat at the 3-point line.
Because of my dad, I started playing the game. Seeing him motivated me to play. He's been an important part of my life.
I think the international players, in general, show how basketball is global now. There are players from all the countries.
Basketball in Latin America is growing a lot and it's being seen with the quantity of players in the NBA.
My family's very important to me.
I was in Atlanta for nine years and we never got to play on Christmas Day.
I gave everything I had - on the floor, trying to be the best leader that I could, trying to help the guys as much as I could, putting in the extra work.
The regular season, it's kind of like a rehearsal. That's the way I look at it.
I always drank chocolate milk growing up and I remember my grandmother would always have it when I would visit her in the Dominican Republic - that's when it all started.
I feel like one of my strengths is passing.