Al Horford’s sister says she sits during national anthem in Celtics room because it’s indoctrination

Anna Horford, the sister of Boston Celtics big man Al Horford, recently revealed on social media that she sits during the national anthem.

She called it “indoctrination,” and stated that she doesn’t “have to honor a country that doesn’t honor us.”

In a reply to a commenter on her post on X, Anna Horford explained more about why she doesn’t stand for the anthem.

Anna Horford is certainly entitled to her opinion, and there have been instances in professional sports where players have not stood for the anthem before, most notably former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Kaepernick began kneeling for the anthem as a protest against police brutality and racial injustice.

This summer is a big one for the Horford family, as Al Horford is set to be an unrestricted free agent.

After spending the last four seasons in Boston – his second stint with the franchise – Al Horford could end up leaving in free agency. The Celtics are in a strange spot, as they have a high payroll but may not be able to contend for a title next season with Jayson Tatum (Achilles) injured.

That could lead to Boston letting a player like Al Horford walk, especially if he wants to chase another title late in his career. Al Horford won the first championship of his NBA career with the Celtics in the 2023-24 season.

During the 2024-25 season, Al Horford appeared in 60 games for the Celtics during the regular season. He started 42 of those contests and averaged 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 42.3 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from beyond the arc.

A five-time All-Star, Al Horford has spent seven seasons with the Celtics after spending the first nine seasons of his career with the Atlanta Hawks. He also spent one season playing for the Philadelphia 76ers and one for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Boston was knocked out of the playoffs in the second round by the New York Knicks this season, and it may have some tough decisions to make across the roster when it comes to building the team for next season.

Hopefully, Al Horford will end up in a destination where he can thrive even though he’s in the late stage of his career.