Jayson Tatum calls Al Horford the "ultimate team player" for coming off Celtics' bench

BOSTON -- The Celtics have a stacked lineup heading into the 2023-24 season. With the additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday over the summer, someone was going to be the odd man out in Boston's starting five.

That someone is veteran Al Horford, who will be watching from the pine when the Celtics' season tips off Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Horford has essentially been a starter from Day 1 of his NBA career, starting all but 10 of his 1,013 games. But the 16-year vet is more than happy to take the hit and come off the bench for Boston this season.

That move has Jayson Tatum singing the praises of his teammate. Not just a teammate -- the "ultimate" teammate. 

"It's the ultimate sacrifice. Everyone knows how much I love and respect Al. A lot of guys say they'll do anything to help the team win, but Al is the epitome of that," Tatum said after Wednesday's morning shootaround in New York.

"We have six starters, essentially, and everybody is going to have to sacrifice at some point this season," Tatum added. "For Al to voice that he should come off the bench, he is the ultimate team player. That's why we all love and appreciate him. He's going to be a huge part of the success that we have this year."

It's no shock that Horford is willing to make such a sacrifice. He didn't have to be the top dog when he first arrived in Boston on a big-money contract in 216, and in later years, he was willing to defer to young players like Tatum and Jaylen Brown to advance their careers. 

Coming off the Boston bench will be new territory for Horford though, as he's started every game that he's ever played for the Celtics. But it probably isn't the worst idea to have the 37-year-old play a reserve role and help preserve his legs for a lengthy playoff run. The Celtics went above and beyond to do that last season, giving Horford the night off on the second leg of back to backs. 

He'll still play important minutes for the C's and should log a few starts when Porzingis needs a night off. And as Tatum said, Horford is still going to be a huge part of the team's success no matter which role he plays.