Al Horford

Horford with the Hawks
No. 15 – Atlanta Hawks
Center / Power forward
Personal information
Born	(1986-06-03) June 3, 1986 (age 26) Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Nationality	Dominican
High school	Grand Ledge (Michigan)
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
College	Florida (2004–2007)
NBA Draft	2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Pro career	2007–present
League	NBA
Career history
2007–present	Atlanta Hawks
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA All-Star (2010–2011) All-NBA Third Team (2011) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2008) 2× NCAA Champion (2006–2007)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals Competitor for the  Dominican Republic Men's Basketball FIBA Americas Championship Bronze 2011 Argentina Team Centrobasket Bronze 2008 Mexico Team

Alfred Joel Horford Reynoso (born June 3, 1986) is a Dominican professional basketball player who is a center and power forward for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Horford played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was the starting center on the Florida Gators teams that won back-to-back NCAA national championships in 2006 and 2007. He also plays for the Dominican Republic national team. On December 24, 2011, he married singer and 2003 Miss Universe Amelia Vega.^[1]

Early years and high school career[link]

Horford was born in the city of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic, an island more famous for producing baseball players, produced Horford's father Tito Horford. Tito Horford was recruited by Marian Christian High School in Houston out of the Dominican Republic and attended Louisiana State University and the University of Miami. He was drafted in the second round of the 1988 NBA draft, and played three years in the NBA and several more overseas. Horford's mother Arelis Reynoso was a journalist. Horford grew up watching his father play and fell in love with the game. In the summer of 2000, Horford and his family moved to Lansing, Michigan, where he attended Grand Ledge High School in Grand Ledge, Michigan, and was a star player on its basketball team. At Grand Ledge, Horford holds to this day seven school records, including most career points, with 1239. As a senior he was Class A Player of The Year, averaging 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks. While at Grand Ledge, Horford played AAU basketball for the Michigan Mustangs, who were runner-ups in the Adidas Big Time National Tournament.^[2] He was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com.^[3]

College career[link]

Horford accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Billy Donovan's Florida Gators men's basketball team from 2004 to 2007. He was a member of the Gators' 2004 recruiting class, together with fellow incoming freshmen Joakim Noah, Taurean Green, and Corey Brewer. He made an immediate impact as a Gator, starting at center in the front-court with David Lee. He helped the Gators win the 2005 Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship.

Horford in college

He started his sophomore season without many expectations. Many people^[who?] did not believe that the Gators would be very good in the 2005-06 season, losing three starters from the previous year's team. The Gators, with Horford's help, surged through the season, winning the SEC Championship. They entered the 2006 NCAA Tournament as a number 3 seed. Horford showed great leadership as he and the Gators swept through the first four rounds to reach the Final Four. The Gators beat the Cinderella story of the tournament, George Mason, to reach the final. Then they beat UCLA in the championship, where Horford had 14 points and 7 rebounds.^[4]

Horford and the Gators started the 2006-07 season with the goal of repeating as national champions. In December 2006, Horford missed a series of games due to an injury. Coach Donovan held him out of a game against Stetson University in hopes that he would be adequately healed for a December 23 showdown in Gainesville against the third-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. One day before the game, Donovan announced that Horford would be unable to play. However, Horford entered the game from the bench to guard Ohio State player Greg Oden, a highly-touted 7'0" (2.13 m) freshman. Horford tried to contain Oden, holding him to just seven points (well below Oden's season average of just over 15). Horford himself scored eleven points, adding eleven rebounds in limited action. The Gators beat the Buckeyes in what is now regarded as not just a great game, but also one of Florida's best-played games at the O'Connell Center.^{[citation needed]}

On the final home game of the season, on March 4, 2007 against Kentucky, Horford became the fourth on his team to score 1,000 career points, on a free throw in the second half. He needed 14 points during the game to reach the milestone, and scored exactly the number needed.^[5]

On April 2, 2007, Horford and the rest of the Gators became the first team to repeat as national champions since the 1991-1992 Duke Blue Devils, and the first ever to do so with the same starting lineup. Then in May 2007, Horford, Taurean Green, Joakim Noah, and Corey Brewer all announced they would leave early for the NBA.

According to an interview on Rome is Burning with Jim Rome on March 18, 2009, Horford said that he finished his degree at Florida in the summer after his rookie year in the NBA.

NBA career[link]

Atlanta Hawks (2007-present)[link]

Horford shoots a free throw during the 2008 NBA Playoffs

Horford was quickly picked by many fans as a top-5 pick in the draft.^[6] On June 28, 2007, he was selected 3rd overall by Atlanta Hawks in the 2007 NBA Draft behind Greg Oden and Kevin Durant.^[7] Horford was considered to be an opening day starter because of his unique combination of skills such as the ability to shoot, pass, rebound and defend multiple positions. Horford made a big impact on the Hawks in his rookie year, starting 77 out of 82 games and averaging 10.1 points, and 9.7 rebounds. During his 2007–2008 rookie season, Horford was honored as Rookie of the Month on four separate occasions: November, February, March and April.^[8] His great rookie campaign made Horford a unanimous selection to the All-Rookie first team. Horford's efforts helped the Hawks gain the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks gave the #1 seed Boston Celtics a challenge, taking them to 7 games. In the series Horford averaged 12.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.

Horford looked to improve on his rookie season his sophomore year. On February 16, 2008, Horford played in the NBA All-Star Rookie Challenge. He had 19 points and 7 rebounds as the rookies were defeated by the sophomores.^[9] Horford improved on his sophomore year, averaging 11.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks. The Hawks also improved, becoming the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference, and beat the Miami Heat in 7 games before being swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the next round. Coming into his third season the Hawks made some improvements to the team, adding shooting guard Jamal Crawford. Horford once again improved on his prior year, averaging 14.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 2.4 assists. Horford was named to Eastern Conference All-Star Team, and in the All-Star Game he put up 8 points and 4 rebounds. The Hawks once again qualified for the playoffs, this time as the 3rd seed. The Hawks were swept by Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic in the second round. Horford improved once again in his fourth NBA season, averaging 15.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 blocks. Horford was selected to the All-Star game as a reserve, and was also selected to the All-NBA Third Team.

On January 11, 2012, Horford sustained an injury to his left shoulder that appeared to be mild. However, results later showed that he had torn his pectoral muscle.^[10] He missed the rest of the regular season, not returning to game action until Game 4 of Atlanta's first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

Personal[link]

Horford was selected to be on the packaging of the video game NBA Ballers: Chosen One with fellow center of the Orlando Magic Dwight Howard.^[11] Horford has a younger brother named Jon Horford currently attending the University of Michigan. Horford's father Tito Horford was an NBA player. Horford's uncle Kelly Horford played for Florida Atlantic University in the 90's.^[12] Horford is a member of the Nike basketball brand.^[13] Horford appeared in a music video for Ciara's song Never Ever. He married former Miss Universe Amelia Vega on December 24, 2011, in the Dominican Republic.^[1]

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	College basketball portal

• 2005–06 Florida Gators men's basketball team
• 2006–07 Florida Gators men's basketball team
• Florida Gators
• List of Florida Gators basketball players

References[link]

External links[link]

• The official Website of Al Horford
• Al Horford at NBA.com
• Official Florida bio

Josh Smith

Smith with the Hawks
No. 5 – Atlanta Hawks
Forward
Personal information
Born	(1985-12-05) December 5, 1985 (age 26) College Park, Georgia
Nationality	American
High school	McEachern Oak Hill Academy
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
College	None
NBA Draft	2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 17th overall
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Pro career	2004–present
League	NBA
Career history
2004–present	Atlanta Hawks
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2010) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2005) NBA Slam Dunk Champion (2005)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Josh Smith (born December 5, 1985 in College Park, Georgia) is an American professional basketball player with the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA. Josh is one of five children born to Paulette and Pete Smith. His siblings are Walter, Phebe, Kasola and Shanti. His popular nickname is "J-Smoove".^[1]

Smith attended John McEachern High School. For his senior year, Smith transferred to Oak Hill Academy. As a player for Oak Hill's basketball team, he first earned his reputation as a consummate shot-blocker, which he would maintain in the NBA. He played alongside former Atlanta Hawk teammate Randolph Morris and the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard on the highly regarded Atlanta Celtics AAU team in the summer of 2003.^[2]

NBA career[link]

Smith was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 17th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft.

Having entered the league straight out of high school, Smith has publicly disagreed with the rule change that prohibited high school players from entering the NBA Entry Draft.^[3]

He won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest during his rookie year in the 2005 NBA All-Star Weekend. He averaged 9.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.95 blocks per game for the 2004–05 season and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. For the 2005–06 season, Smith averaged 2.25 blocks per game, ranking seventh in the NBA.

After the NBA All-Star Weekend, he continued his steady development. He finished second in the NBA in total blocks, 4th in blocks per game and averaged 15.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 4.1 apg, 3.1 bpg and 1.0 spg after the All-Star break and his contribution helped the Hawks double their win total of 13 wins from the previous season to finish 26-56.

On March 3, 2007, Smith broke the 500-block mark, making him the youngest player to do so in NBA history.^[4] Smith ended the 2006–07 season with 16.4 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per game, 3.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.9 blocks, dramatically improving on his previous season's stats. Leading the Hawks after Joe Johnson's season-ending injury, Smith produced a career high 32 points and 19 rebounds in Johnson's absence. He eclipsed this mark on November 17, 2007 with a new career high of 38 points on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks.^[5]

On August 8, 2008, Smith signed an offer sheet to play with the Memphis Grizzlies, but the Hawks quickly matched the offer sheet.^[6] Smith was told by Atlanta to go out as a restricted free agent to test the market, putting the pressure on Smith to essentially go out and set his price.^[7]

On October 30, 2009, in a home game vs. the Washington Wizards, Smith became the youngest player (at 23 years old) to reach 900 blocks.

On February 2, 2010, against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Smith became the youngest player (at 24 years old) to block 1000 shots.^[8]

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

NBA records[link]

Youngest player in NBA history to record:

• 10 blocked shots in a game, Atlanta Hawks at Dallas Mavericks, 02004-12-18December 18, 2004 (&1000000000000001900000019 years, &1000000000000001300000013 days)
• 500 career blocked shots, Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks, 02007-03-03March 3, 2007 (&1000000000000002100000021 years, &1000000000000008800000088 days) (206 games)
• 1,000 career blocked shots, Atlanta Hawks at Oklahoma City Thunder, 02010-02-02February 2, 2010 (&1000000000000002400000024 years, &1000000000000005900000059 days) (423 games)

See also[link]

• List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders
• List of National Basketball Association players with 10 or more blocks in a game

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Josh Smith

• Josh Smith at NBA.com
• Josh Smith at Basketball-Reference.com