Boston Celtics center Al Horford (center) and forward Jayson Tatum (center left) celebrate with teammates near the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after the team won Game 5 of the NBA basketball championship against the Dallas Mavericks in Boston, Monday, June 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Celebrations are underway in the Dominican Republic after Boston Celtics center Al Horford became the first player from the country to win an NBA title on Monday.
Horford, whose full name is Alfred Joel Horford Reynoso, finally won a championship in his 17th NBA season and was congratulated by the president of the Dominican Republic and international bachata stars.
“Al Horford has made history as the first Dominican to win an NBA Finals series,” President Luis Abinader said on X. “Great pride for our country! Congratulations on this incredible achievement.” The tweet was accompanied by a Dominican flag emoji and the hashtags “#OrgulloDominicano,” or “#DominicanPride.”
The Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 to win their 18th championship, breaking a franchise record tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most wins in franchise history.
“I’m proud to represent all the people of the Dominican Republic, not just over there but all over the world, because I know they’re in different parts of Europe and here in the United States,” said Horford, who casually tucked the Dominican Republic flag in his waistband as he posed for photos with the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Read: Celtics seek back-to-back NBA titles for first time since 2018
Rachel Quesada, a 38-year-old auditor from Santo Domingo Este, said she watched the entire series hoping for a Boston win but never doubted the win given the team’s talent.
“It’s good to see that he’s a guy who hasn’t forgotten his roots,” Quesada told The Associated Press. “The team has performed at its best since the beginning.”
Horford, a native of Puerto Plata, joins a short list of Latinos who have won NBA titles, including Argentina’s Manu Ginobili and Fabricio Oberto, Puerto Rico’s Butch Lee and J.J. Barea, Venezuela’s Carl Herrera, Brazil’s Leandro Barbosa and Mexico’s Juan Toscano Anderson.
Dominican Republic great Juan Luis Guerra also congratulated the 38-year-old Celtics star, sharing a photo of the basketball team with the caption, “Glory to God!!”
The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Sports posted a photo of X with the words “Dominican Pride.”
Horford won his first championship ring in his 15th playoff appearance. The 38-year-old has played in two Finals. Horford’s father is Tito Horford, a former Dominican Republic basketball star who played for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA.
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Horford moved to Michigan with his family from the Dominican Republic before playing college basketball for the Florida Gators.
