Al Horford Says His Random, Weird Rebound Flinch Is Just To Make Teammates Laugh

Al Horford has been one of the key players in the Celtics’ recent run of success since he signed with Boston as a free agent in 2016. The All-Star center doesn’t put up gaudy numbers, averaging a solid 12.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game this season, but his skills as a defender and screener on the offensive end make him a key cog in the wheel.

Horford’s “natural position” has been up for debate for most of his career, despite the fact that he’s made five All-Star teams in his 11 seasons, spending all of them primarily as a center. For years, some fans and media have insisted he should play power forward because of his size at just 6’10, and there were even moments when Horford himself had those questions about his position.

His rebounding numbers are often brought up as a reason why he’s not a “true center,” having only averaged more than 10 rebounds per game in just one season, even if the notion of a true center has evolved dramatically since he entered the league. In any case, Horford appears to have some fun with the critique that he’s allergic to rebounding because he’ll randomly flinch wildly when a rebound caroms off the rim.

This very random occurrence was a mystery for years, only noticed by a select few fans and, last year, The Starters as you see in the above video. So, when Horford did this in a game this year, it was the final straw that made an intrepid reporter finally ask Horford what he’s doing when that happens.

Apparently, it’s just a joke he’s making with his teammates to try and get them to laugh on the bench. Horford isn’t known for being a jokester, but this is a pretty funny way of him messing with his teammates and, less purposefully, fans watching who notice it. In all of the clips of him flinching, you can see he only does it when it’s a dead ball or it’s clear another teammate is going to collect the ball, making it safe for him to do his joke without it negatively impact the team.