Al Horford shares he’s fully vaccinated ahead of potential series vs. Raptors

If the Celtics play the Raptors in the first round of the NBA playoffs, they’ll have one less player to worry about not being available in the series.

Forward/center Al Horford is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, he told The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach on Friday. Horford missed the Celtics’ previous game in Toronto on March 28 due to personal reasons. Since Jan. 15, players who aren’t fully vaccinated against COVID-19 haven’t been able to play games in Toronto due to Canada’s mandate. So, Horford’s absence from that March loss led some to question if he was fully vaccinated.

When Horford returned to the Celtics’ lineup two days later, he said that he was “ready to play wherever” but didn’t disclose his vaccination status.

“It’s something I haven’t wanted to discuss,” Horford told Himmelsbach. “I think with the Celtics, we made it clear we’re not going to discuss those things, and it’s a health matter, and we all respect everybody’s individual perspectives. That’s why I’m not going to get into it and talk about it. But I’m ready to go.”

Questions grew over the last week about the Celtics’ vaccination rate as it looked more and more possible that they’d face the Raptors in the first round of the playoffs. Boston was without three other starters in that March game in Toronto. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown sat out that game, despite playing in a game the day before, to help rest their right knees. Tatum has stated he is vaccinated. Brown didn’t share his vaccination status when asked on April 3, citing his role on the NBPA’s board as the reason why.

“Last year, I missed the playoffs — I had a season-ending injury with my wrist,” Brown said. “This year, from a competitive standpoint, I’m excited and ready to play against anybody. As a vice president of the Players Association, it’s a part of my job description to protect our players’ rights and our medical privacy. So you won’t hear me commenting on my status or anybody else’s. That’s how I feel about it.”

Center Robert Williams didn’t play in that game either, but he suffered a meniscus injury on March 27 and is reportedly vaccinated.

The Raptors locked themselves into the No. 5 seed following their win over the Rockets on Friday. That means the Celtics could only face them in the first round if they fall to No. 4 seed, which Boston would do if it loses Sunday to Memphis and Philadelphia wins its final two games of the regular season. If the Celtics stay in the No. 3 spot (or move up to No. 2), they wouldn’t face the Raptors until the Eastern Conference Finals should both teams make it that far.

No matter who they face, though, having Horford will be important for the Celtics. The 35-year-old’s had a career revival after getting traded back to Boston this season, averaging 10.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while ranking among the best in the league in some defensive metrics. He’s shooting better too as of late, shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from 3-point territory since the All-Star break. Not to mention, Boston will be without Williams in Round 1, so its big men depth is already thin.

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