The story of Dominicans in the National Basketball Association (NBA) league began when Tito Horford was drafted in 1988 and has its latest chapter now that his son Al Horford won a NBA Final on 17 June 2024.
Alfredo William Horford (Tito Horford) is in sports history books as the first Dominican to play in the NBA. Born in La Romana on the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic, he moved to Texas for high school to pursue a basketball career. He played college basketball at Louisiana State University and the University of Miami before being recruited by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round (39th overall) of the 1988 NBA draft. He played two seasons with the Bucks (1988-1990) and a short stint with the Washington Bullets in 1993-1994. He also played professionally in Spain in 1992. He played on the Dominican national team and represented the country in various international competitions.
Al Horford was born Alfred Joel Horford Reynoso (Al Horford) on 3 June 1986 in Puerto Plata. On Monday, 17 June 2024, he made Dominican sports history when he became the first Dominican to win a NBA championship title. Likewise, Al Horford is the first Dominican to be a five-time NBA All-star and is the highest-paid Latin American basketball player.
He played college basketball for the Florida Gators, leading the team to back-to-back NCAA national championships in 2006 and 2007.
He began his NBA career when he was drafted third overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2007 NBA draft. He played nine seasons with the Hawks before signing with the Boston Celtics in 2016. He has also played for the Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Horford has played for the Dominican Republic and was on the team that sought to qualify to play in the Olympic Games in 2012, missing the slot by one game.
He is married to the Dominican Republic’s only Miss Universe, Amelia Vega. Together they have five children, his first born son and four daughters.
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Boston Globe
19 June 2024