Jrue Holiday and Al Horford were only teammates for two seasons with the Boston Celtics, but that was more than enough time for Holiday to understand what makes Horford such a difference-maker.
As he walked towards the visitors’ locker room inside Chase Center earlier this season, Holiday listed the qualities that have defined the 39-year-old Horford’s NBA career.
“What doesn’t he do well?” Holiday told The Athletic of Horford. “He’s a great leader to start off, holds everybody accountable and to a standard because he is a standard. So, everything he does, he doesn’t take any days off or cut corners, or any of that type of stuff, so he’s able to hold people to that standard, and then, he does everything.
“If you need him to score, he’ll score. If you need him to play defense and block shots, he’ll do that. If you need him to switch one through five, he’ll do that. If you need him to knock down a big shot, he’ll do that. He’s like the most reliable leader that I think I’ve ever played with.”
Those qualities are exactly what the Golden State Warriors hoped they were getting when the 18-year veteran signed before the season. And now, just as their season hangs in the balance, they’re getting him back.
Horford returned to the lineup on Friday, scoring 10 points in 18 minutes in a loss to the Sacramento Kings after missing about a month with a calf strain — a reappearance that comes just days before the Warriors’ Play-In run begins.
It took Horford a while to find his rhythm. A lingering sciatica issue and stretch of uneven performances knocked him out off track to start the year. But since Christmas, Horford has rediscovered his form, looking more like the steadying presence that has made him such a respected figure in locker rooms all across the NBA.
That progress was interrupted again by a calf injury in mid-March, halting what had been his most productive stretch with the Warriors. In the games leading up to the setback, Horford averaged 10.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 25.4 minutes across five appearances.
Now, with the Play-In set to begin Wednesday night, the Warriors are counting on Horford to quickly rediscover that form — adding a steady, veteran presence to a group that will have little margin for error.
That trust isn’t new. Horford was recently named a finalist for the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award, a reflection of the professionalism and respect he’s commanded throughout his career.
“I feel like I care about my teammates,” Horford explained earlier this season “I care about the people around me. But then also, I think everybody senses and feels I always play to win.
“If I’m going to do anything on the floor, it may not be the best outcome, or sometimes, I need to do things a little differently, but my intention, in my mind, it’s always to try to help the team win.”
Warriors swingman Moses Moody is one of the younger players who has leaned on Horford.
The 23-year-old said the conversations he’s had with the veteran big man have helped him understand what it takes to last in the NBA.
“You can see why he’s played so long,” Moody said. “His attention to detail. He doesn’t get too super excited. He don’t go down. His competitiveness is always there. That’s something I got from him.”
From the beginning of the season, Horford said the key to his longevity has been forming individual relationships with his teammates. Before signing with the Warriors, he was open about the fact that he had competed against Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, but didn’t know them personally. Since arriving, he has tried to change that.
“It’s getting to know the people individually,” Horford said. “I’m always trying to be mindful of what’s going on with the person, and if there’s any way I can help somebody or uplift them.
Warriors rookie guard Will Richard — a fellow University of Florida alum — first met Horford at the 2025 men’s Final Four. Horford smiled proudly while discussing what it was like to watch Richard receive his ring from Florida coach Todd Golden.
There’s an awe that young players speak of Horford with and a respect that the older players have when they do. Horford’s teammates appreciate how he goes about his business on and off the floor.
Moody might have summed it up best.
“He’s real present,” Moody said of Horford. “And as he thinks and answers questions, it’s a real conversation. Some people you talk to, and they’re talking through you, or thinking about something else as y’all talk, but he’s really present and gives his all to every word that comes out of his mouth.”
That presence is by design. It’s why Horford is viewed with so much reverence over his two decades in the NBA — from former teammates and coaches to younger players. Teammates trust him because of the quiet confidence he exudes. They trust him because they can see that he has been through every possible scenario the game can offer.
“His biggest strength is you know he will always be there for the team,” Warriors big man Kristaps Porziņģis said. “He will always give everything. … I think that’s one of the qualities that stand out to me, how reliable he is as a teammate.”
Porziņģis, who was acquired by the Warriors just before February’s trade deadline, is somebody who would know. He has played with Horford in both Boston and Golden State and has seen firsthand how respected the even-keeled big man is within each locker room. Porziņģis said Horford is “young at heart” and has earned that trust over time because of the way he carries himself.
When asked what message he hopes his teammates take from him, Horford’s words sound like something that belong in a textbook on how to age with grace.
“Just the consistency on work, approach, preparation,” Horford said. “And not taking opportunities for granted. And making sure that they understand that this can be taken away very quickly with this league. So, giving them perspective, but also giving them an example; how to prepare, the things that they need to do to stay in the league.”
After trying to navigate his way through a tough season, a shift began to take place. Warriors coach Steve Kerr has noticed a change in how Horford uses his voice within the locker room.
“I really sense that, a few weeks ago, he started to speak up more too,” Kerr said recently. “A very wise man, and like most wise men, he doesn’t say a whole lot early on and observes. And I would say, maybe a month ago, you could feel his leadership and his presence as he really got confident and felt his way through his new surroundings. The guys all just revere him. He’s an amazing pro.”
Holiday saw these special intangibles long before Horford arrived in Golden State. That’s why he wasn’t surprised that Horford ended up joining a franchise built on the the culture Curry and Green established.
Horford doesn’t just serve as a confidant for some of his teammates. He’s seen as a symbol of motivation for the future. For younger players, a blueprint for something entirely else — how to not only be a pro, but stay in the game at a high level for years.
“That’s why he’s been playing for so long,” Holiday said. “And that’s why he can do it for so long — and do it at the capabilities that he’s doing it at. And for him to still be doing it the way he’s been doing it, showing up every single day and every single year, with the competitiveness and the drive that he has is something that, hopefully, by the end of my career, I can be just like him.”
And with Horford back just in time for the Play-In, the Warriors are getting that presence when they need it most.
