Al Horford is officially in the NBA Finals for the first time in his career, and that also means he is free of one of the sport’s most undesirable records.
The Boston Celtics big man Horford clinched his first-ever Finals berth with his team’s Game 7 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday. Horford had played 15 years in the league and 141 playoff games prior to making the Finals. But with Horford finally getting himself off the list, the dishonorable distinction for most playoff appearances without a Finals appearance now belongs to Philadelphia 76ers big man Paul Millsap.
— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) May 30, 2022
Horford and Millsap, a pair of ex-All-Star bigs, were teammates for several seasons on the Atlanta Hawks. Joe Johnson, who is now second on the list with 120 playoff games and no Finals berth, also used to be a member of the Hawks. Atlanta had ten straight playoff appearances from 2008 to 2017 but never got further than the Eastern Conference Finals (which might explain the names on the above list).
Millsap, 37, is actually older than Horford, 35, and has also been in the NBA for longer, having just wrapped up his 16th season. Now a free agent in the summer, Millsap may be looking for a better shot at a title than he currently has in Philly, especially since he was somewhat disrespected there this year.
