Integrate into the team culture! Horford fights to win perfectly fits the Warriors tradition of teamwork

Translator's note: The original text was published in The Athletic. The data in the article were as of the time of the original text (October 2 local time). The dates and times involved are local time

San Francisco News - Al Horford is a big man whose playing style can perfectly integrate into the Warriors system. After observing the 39-year-old's evolution in the NBA for nearly 20 years, Steve Cole believed it with just one training class.

"It is a big deal to have a space-type five, and he is not just a space-type five, he is Al Horford," Cole said Wednesday. "He can grab rebounds, defend, play smart, pass well. Just looking at him today, you can see how well he fits and how smooth it is. He can partner with Draymond (Green) to open up space as a five. He can go with Teres (Jackson Day) Wess) partnered and let Teres play the role of a downside. We can play the double tower lineup around him. He can also play the fifth position. We can play a five-in-one lineup. So Al's comprehensiveness and his ability to integrate into any lineup will make him extremely valuable immediately. "

For the Warriors who are determined to win the championship this season, it is equally important that Horford's words and behaviors are already like a Warriors player. During a media meeting Wednesday afternoon, the soft-spoken center gave a glimpse of why the Warriors were so optimistic that he could fit seamlessly into the locker room. He has been known for his beloved teammate throughout Horford’s basketball career, and time and time again he demonstrated his ability to fit in the team both on and off the court. This is a trait that many proud NBA players don't always possess, especially those who have achieved success like Horford. He knows when to show himself. As for the Warriors, Horford already knows how to observe his expressions.

"I think it's clear to me that Draymond is the leader here," he said, "and then there's Stephen (Curry) and Jimmy (Butler). I'll just follow in their footsteps, continue to learn from them, take their guidance, and be ready to do anything for the team that needs me to do. There may be times when I need me to come forward and if there is anything to say, I'll say it, but I'm on a team that's already very mature and has those leaders and distinct traits."

Horford is expected to deepen this trait for the team soon. He knows how to fit into teams that win at the highest level. He has been showing this trait from winning two consecutive NCAA titles as a member of the University of Florida men's basketball team in 2006 and 2007, until he won the NBA championship with the Celtics in 2024.

Horford knew that talent alone could not win, and he believed that any collective needed some kind of "cohesion" to find the rhythm needed.

"When you as a group can find ways to fight together, you succeed," Horford said. "Everyone understands that there is a common goal, nothing else matters. There is no personal data, and nothing like that. You fight to win, and when everyone is working in the same direction, I think you have a pretty special team at that time."

This is exactly the trait the Warriors think they have in the new season. In Horford, they found excellent qualities that could strengthen the team's existing culture. He is a smart and successful player and there is no such a conceit that would change the existing hierarchy of the locker room. He can also provide support and guidance when needed.

Interestingly, Horford said he had no personal relationship with any of the Warriors' main players. He decided to sign with this team because he saw the fit that he could fill and the team culture that he had always admired very much. He said the only reason he was willing to leave the Celtics was to come to San Francisco to play with these players.

"I have a lot of respect for this," Horford said. "As competitors, they have achieved, it's clear that I've fought them on the highest level. But now we're teammates, and I'm trying to adapt as soon as possible and find this 'warrior way' as soon as possible." As a Warrior, the main question Horford will have to answer is whether he can stay healthy with other future Hall of Fame core members of the team who are outstanding but old.

"It's fair," Horford said with a chuckle, "It's really a group of veterans, no doubt. It's funny because I feel like I've been said to be old since I was 30. I remember when I signed with the Celtics and signed the first early contract extension, I think Brad (Stevens) said 'Oh, you're the oldest guy on the team' and that's what I was 30. I feel like that's always with me."

Now, that won't stop. Horford, like Curry, Green and Butler, must prove that he can stay on the court and be prepared when the Warriors need him the most. What he showed on Wednesday was exactly what the Warriors have always believed: He has always been their type of player--and that type of person.

Author: Nick Friedell

Translator: GWayNe