76ers' Al Horford Calls Time Off an 'Unexpected Blessing'

Heading into the 2019-2020 NBA season, not a single player could've expected what went down. Just as we were one month shy of wrapping up the regular season and heading into the postseason, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was left with no choice but to shut the season down for the time being.

At first, it seemed the 30-day suspension that was initially put in place was fair. Considering the unexpected circumstances, many believed the NBA would be back in action relatively soon. Yet, here we are well over two months into the hiatus, and the decision to restart the league remains up in the air.

For many players, the circumstances are wildly unfortunate -- but Philadelphia 76ers veteran big man Al Horford is looking on the bright side of it all. For a guy who has been in the NBA since 2007, Horford has spent a lot of time in the gym, at arenas, and on the road. With the league suspended, though, he's been able to spend lots of time at home with his family and believes the time off is an "unexpected blessing."

"It's a lot of quality time," Horford told Sixers reporter, Lauren Rosen. "We're obviously going through a very hard time in the world with this pandemic, but having this time with [family] -- it's something that I don't think it would ever happen. It's brought me closer to them. My wife and I are really making the most out of this time."

While Horford hasn't had the opportunity to play basketball with the Sixers in close to three months at this point, the 33-year-old big man mentions he's been watching film, which has encouraged his young son to start practicing on his hoop at home. And while Horford mentions his "squad" of kids wears him out, the Sixers' big man is making sure to get two workouts in a day -- once in the morning and once in the evening. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_