Al Horford's Sister Anna Says 76ers Fans 'Hated Us' During Center's Philly Tenure
The Horford family did not enjoy Al Horford's one-year stint in Philadelphia during the 2019-20 season.
"We stayed Celtics fans when he was in Philly and when he was in OKC. We couldn't let go,” his sister Maria told Jared Weiss of The Athletic. "They showed us so much love, and that wasn't something we were ready to let go of, so we just never did. And we're back!"
Horford's sister Anna and brother Josh were less subtle.
"Philly fans hated us there," Anna said. "They hated us for it."
"We continued to root for Boston, because they're not dickheads," Josh added.
Horford's play didn't endear him to the Philadelphia faithful, as he averaged 11.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting 45 percent from the field (tied for a career worst) and 35 percent from three. He briefly lost his starting gig late in the season, and the Boston Celtics swept the Sixers in the first round of the bubble playoffs.
Horford's poor performance in Philadelphia wasn't solely on him, as he was a poor fit on a roster devoid of floor-spacing and shot creation. But considering he signed a four-year, $109 million contract, the move was seen as a bust, and the team flipped him to the Oklahoma City Thunder after one season to land Danny Green, a much better fit.
After mediocre seasons in both Philly and Oklahoma City, it seemed as though Horford's play might be declining later in his career, though he found new life back in Boston this season. But the time in Philly left a bad taste in the mouths of the Horford clan.
That cuts both ways, however. The Sixers and Celtics are traditional rivals, so it didn't play well in Philly when Anna Horford repeatedly admitted she was conflicted about Al's decision to sign with the Sixers.
"It was just weird," she told Josh Swartz of WBUR in January 2020. "It was just...it was bizarre. It was, just...I don't know. I don't even know how to explain it. It just didn't feel right."
“I feel very conflicted,” she said on the Celtics Lab podcast that August before the teams met in the postseason, adding: "There's that sense of wanting to support my family and my brother and his team, but also, they happen to be playing one of my favorite teams that I still love very, very much. And so kind of feels like we're part of the Celtics family in a way, me and my siblings at least—so yeah, it's very conflicting."
Not any longer. The Horfords clearly don't care for Philadelphia, and after Friday's quotes, the feeling will be mutual.
