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NBA: 30 greatest international players in league history

By Daniel Lubofsky

SAN ANTONIO - MAY 09: Guard Steve Nash #13 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball past Tony Parker #9 of the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on May 9, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO - MAY 09: Guard Steve Nash #13 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball past Tony Parker #9 of the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on May 9, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Al Horford
Al Horford (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Greatest international NBA players of all time: 14. Al Horford

The consistency of Al Horford’s career is something that doesn’t get talked about very often. In the league for 12 seasons, the former No. 3 overall pick has constantly been of service to his team and has yet to miss out on the playoffs.

He spent the first nine years of his career with the Atlanta Hawks, who were in the midst of eight consecutive postseason-less campaigns. Horford would help remedy that drought right away as a rookie with a versatile inside-out game that would only serve a greater purpose as the league evolved.

Horford would make four All-Star teams while a member of the Hawks, but with just one appearance in the conference finals, it was clear he couldn’t function as the head honcho Atlanta had pegged him to be. It wasn’t until he signed with the Boston Celtics where Al fell comfortably into a lesser role that helped shed light on the true value he brought to the court.

By the time he arrived in Beantown, the NBA was in the midst of a drastic change to its once-sacred style of play. Big men would no longer be stuffed in the paint, instead encouraged to let it fly from beyond the arc while also forced to defend multiple positions, including perimeter threats, offensively.

There were quite a few guys whose careers took a hit following this revolution, but Horford’s would actually turn in the other direction. He was the perfect embodiment of the ideal center, having upped his 3-point attempts while maintaining a 38.2 percentage.

Horford didn’t just do a passable job at switching off pick-and-rolls, the Celtics actively employed a switch-heavy scheme knowing full well his abilities to handle smaller players. He also showed the full range of his passing gifts with more responsibilities as a facilitator, with his three best passing seasons coming in Boston.

He wasn’t the go-to guy, but the Cs don’t make back-to-back conference finals without their do-everything man in the middle. Horford has yet to win at the highest level, but it’s no coincidence that every team he’s a part of finds success in some form or another, a testament to everything he’s brought to the table since day one in the league.