At 36 years old, Boston Celtics veteran Al Horford is older than most NBA starters (and even older than head coach Joe Mazzulla). Yet, he has shown he still has an important role to play for the C’s, and the front office recognizes it. Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the center agreed to a two-year, $20 million extension with the Celtics that’ll keep him wearing green for the foreseeable future.

While an extension for a player this far into their career isn’t super common, Horford is more than deserving. As the Celtics continue to win during the 2022-23 season, the five-time All-Star continues to show his worth.

So, here are three key reasons why Boston made a brilliant move in keeping Horford in Beantown.

3. Al Horford is contributing on a nightly basis

In his 16th year playing in the NBA, Al Horford is still playing at a relatively high level. While he’s not the All-Star he once was, his 10.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 48.8% from 3-point range make him a valuable asset to any squad.

With his tough defense and improved shooting from deep, Horford has developed his game enough to the point where he’s a modern NBA center. When he entered the league, his 3-point shooting was basically non-existent, as that’s not what was needed in that era of basketball. But today, when the 3-ball rules, it doesn’t hurt to have every player on the court be a deep threat, and the 36-year-old has proved his potential from beyond the arc this year.