It seems veteran Boston Celtics big man Al Horford will not suit up for the Dominican Republic in 2023 FIBA World Cup play after all. Per new reporting from Basketball Sphere’s Dorde Malesevic (h/t to Celtics Blog’s Adam Taylor), the Puerta Plata native will sit out World Cup play this summer.
Both Horford and Indiana Pacers wing Chris Duarte were initially on the Dominican National Team’s extended roster but have since been removed. Horford’s absence will likely be welcomed by the Celtics organization and fans, given his age and the physical nature of the tournament.
Then there is what happened last time a Celtics forward played in the World Cup ahead of a season of expected contention.
"If he wants to win MVP and lead them to the Finals, Jayson Tatum needs to be an MF" – @GwashburnGlobe@CelticsLab is joined by Gary Washburn in the latest Celtics Lab🍀👀!
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— Dr. Justin Quinn (@justinquinnn) August 1, 2023
Boston fans aren’t entirely out of the woods in that regard. Kristaps Porzingis (Latvia) and Oshae Brissett are representing their respective national teams in the international competition this month and in September.
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