Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown Will Applaud Al Horford on Thursday

The city of Boston will have the opportunity to see a familiar face on Thursday night. As the Boston Celtics will host the Philadelphia 76ers for the first time this year, it will mark the very first matchup that Al Horford plays at TD Garden while wearing a Sixers uniform.

Last season, 76ers' forward Al Horford couldn't imagine playing basketball in Philadelphia. As he's been a part of the Celtics for the previous three seasons, the veteran big man has grown to strongly dislike the Sixers considering the rivalry. Or so we thought that was the case.

Horford became a free agent this past summer for the first time since the 2016 offseason. Boston knew they weren't going to be able to afford the 33-year-old center/forward. Therefore, Horford eyed up some new destinations.

By the results of free agency, there was no competition. Philly wanted Horford bad, and the former Celtic didn't allow the rivalry between Boston and Philadelphia to affect his decision. With that, Horford landed in Philly with a multi-year contract.

Horford is adjusting well to the Sixers -- but he hasn't had the opportunity to fully shake off the awkwardness that comes with playing against Boston. Although Horford faced his former team to tip-off the year, he hasn't gone through the most significant phase of facing the Celtics yet. That's playing against them while in Boston.

On Thursday, Horford may or may not get that opportunity depending on how his knee and hamstring feels. If he does indeed play on Thursday though, it will be interesting to see how the crowd reacts to his return. It's unclear whether Horford gets cheers or boos -- but one thing is for sure -- his former teammate, Jaylen Brown, will be paying his respects.

"I think he should be celebrated," Brown said on Wednesday afternoon. "Boston fans, they're going to do what they want regardless. [Al Horford] served his time well here. For me, he was a great leader, a great person of character every step of the way. I know I'll clap for him when they announce his name, but that's just me."

The ball is in Boston's court on Thursday. Had Horford went anywhere else in the NBA, he probably would've been guaranteed a standing ovation upon his first return. Since he went to Philadelphia though, the circumstances might've changed a bit.

It seems like there's a good chance Horford will receive a notable amount of love, but it doesn't sound like anybody is totally sure how the Celtics fan base plans on reacting as a whole. The only thing we know for sure is that Jaylen Brown will applaud the former Celtic. Everybody else, well, that's still up in the air.