Report: Celtics Bitched About 76ers Tampering With Al Horford

Is tampering a problem in the NBA? Who cares? It’s become clear that the tampering flood gates are wide open. Everybody does it. A select few complain about it. The Celtics apparently like to tamper but don’t like when it happens to them. Despite the obvious tampering they had with Kemba Walker prior to free agency signing him in a blink of an eye, the Celtics then complained about the 76ers tampering with Al Horford.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported the following:

“The Celtics were, from what I am told, one of the teams that kind of stomped their feet about what they felt was tampering. Not with Kyrie, although that looked like it was lined up pretty far in advance. But with Horford. What happened with Horford – again, from what I am told – really upset the Celtics, that they were thinking they were going to be able to negotiate with him, talk to him about a new contract, and all of a sudden, it was like he already knew what his market was and was out of there.”

Again, it feels pretty obvious that the Celtics tampered with Kemba Walker. ON June 26th, the Celtics were favored to sign him. ON June 29th, Kemba told the Celtics he wasn‘t returning. All of this happened before the start of free agency. It appears that the Celtics just wanted Horford on a team-friendly deal. Once big Al started sniffing offers elsewhere, he knew he could get a better deal elsewhere. Seems hypocritical to complain about it?

I might be the only Celtics fan in America that couldn’t stand Al Horford. Watching him get bullied on the glass made the Celtics pretty close to unwatchable. Your starting Center has to do better than 6 boards per game. This shouldn’t be an Enes Kanter. Give me Kanter for $5 million per year all day.