Al Horford dealing with family tragedy ahead of Boston-Miami Game 7

Boston Celtics veteran Al Horford is dealing with a loss in his family as he prepares to play in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The former Florida star recently had his grandfather pass away on Thursday morning of last week, prior to Game 6. His grandfather, Jose Reynoso, passed away at the age of 81.

Falleció esta madrugada don José Reynoso, padre de mi amiga y colega @arelismreynoso y abuelo del estelar jugador NBA @Al_Horford

Tenía 81 años. Será sepultado el sábado en Puerto Plata, Rep. Dominicana.#QEPD #RIP pic.twitter.com/64zQ3Un2k3

— Enrique Rojas/ESPN (@Enrique_Rojas1) May 26, 2022

Al Horford dealing with family loss

Prior to taking the court for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Horford was already dealing with the loss of his grandfather. The Celtics would lose their potential close-out game, 111-103, as Miami forced a Game 7 to determine who would make the NBA Finals out of the Eastern Conference. During the game, Horford appeared to be having an off night — as he finished with only three points on 1-for-8 shooting during the loss.

On Thursday morning, ESPN’s Enrique Rojas shared some information about the passing of Reynoso along with a picture of him sitting beside Horford. Rojas shared the news because Reynoso was the father of his friend, Arelis Reynoso — Horford’s mother.

Horford now has to prepare for one of the biggest games of his career as his family deals with their loss, as fans around the league share their support for their family. Horford made his impact on the Celtics felt all season long as a veteran presence, but shined his brightest against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Celtics’ last playoff series.

During Game 4 of their series with Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo went down the length of the court and finished with a dunk over Horford, then staring him down after the play which earned him a technical foul for taunting. Horford’s sister shared a camera angle of the moment that captured Horford’s immediate reaction to the taunting, something that his sister explained is what he looks like when he’s “pissed” at something.

The 35-year-old played 42 minutes with fellow big man Robert Williams sidelined, and he made them count. Horford went 11-of-14 with 30 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in a 116-108 victory — a career night.