An appreciation of Celtics veteran Al Horford, who turns 38 on Monday

BOSTON -- As the Boston Celtics enjoy another day off on Monday ahead of their NBA Finals showdown with the Dallas Mavericks, veteran forward Al Horford will enjoy a special celebration of his own. The Celtics big man will be blowing out some candles as he celebrates his 38th birthday on Monday.

It's no secret that Horford is the elder statesman on the Celtics roster. He's four years older than Jrue Holiday, who is the next oldest player on the Celtics. That status even carries over to the coaching staff, as Horford is two years older than Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla, who will turn 36 at the end of the month.

The appreciation for Horford is crystal clear in Boston. The younger players on the Celtics roster often point to the mild-mannered big man as a calming presence in sticky situations. Fans love his even-keeled approach to everything. He also always rises to the occasion when the Celtics ask more of the 17-year NBA vet.

Horford took a smaller role throughout the regular season and started just 33 of the 65 games he appeared in. He was essentially a cushion for Kristaps Porzingis, allowing Boston to preserve the big man's minutes and sit him on the second nights of back-to-backs. That approach kept Porzingis (mostly) healthy and Horford fresh throughout the regular season.

But when Porziginis went down with a calf injury four games into Boston's postseason run, Horford was ready to step up. He's averaging just over 30 minutes per game in the playoffs, putting up 9.9 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Celtics over 14 games. He's started each of the last 10 games in place of Porzingis, and really shined in Boston's Eastern Conference Finals sweep of the Indiana Pacers.

Horford averaged 12.8 points and 7.3 games over his four games against the Pacers. He was a beast in Boston's Game 3 comeback, turning back the clock en route to a 23-point performance. He was deadly from downtown that evening, hitting seven of his 12 three-point attempts, including a corner three with 1:12 left to pull Boston within a bucket. 

Horford is now four wins away from an NBA title, which has eluded him throughout his professional career. He won a pair of titles in college at Florida, but has an insatiable hunger to reach the top in the NBA.

After coming up short two years ago against the Warriors, Horford believes the Celtics have the right mix to win it all this year.

"I just feel very grateful to be in this opportunity. It's very exciting for me," Horford said last week. "We've just been consistent all year as a group. That's a word that keeps coming up and it's just the reality. Our group has been solid. We're enjoying playing with each other on the court and trying to make the most of this opportunity. 

"So for me, I'm just enjoying this season and trying to make the most of it and trying to do the best that I can of this opportunity," he added. "It's not easy getting to this position. It's only my second time being in a Finals, so I'm just very fortunate. Just very excited for the opportunity."

With over 40,000 minutes played and 1,259 NBA games to his name (181 of which have come in the playoffs), all that is left for Horford to accomplish at this level is winning a title. He's under contract for next season, but there's a chance he would ride off into the sunset if the Celtics bring a banner home this summer. It would be a fitting sendoff, though his Celtics teammates would probably be bummed to see him go. 

While the Finals are still a few days away from tipping off -- and potentially two weeks from concluding -- the best belated birthday present for the now-38-year-old Horford would be an NBA championship. The Celtics have plenty of motivation to go out and win the franchise's first title since 2008, but winning one for Horford is near the top of that list.