The Boston Celtics marked a historic moment by stepping into the White House to celebrate their 18th NBA championship with President Joe Biden.
The occasion carried special significance, as Biden noted, highlighting how the Celtics were pioneers in this presidential tradition when John F. Kennedy first hosted the team in 1963.
The magnitude of the moment wasn’t lost on star player Jayson Tatum, whose radiant smile spoke volumes.
“White House was, it was cool. Lot of us was, our first time here. Getting to meet President Biden and have the ceremony is, you know, something that you always watch as a kid and now to be a part of that tradition is something we’ll always remember,” Tatum said, via the NBA on X.
“Something we’ll always remember.”
Jayson Tatum on the @celtics visit to the White House! pic.twitter.com/H3wPZhCiQz
— NBA (@NBA) November 21, 2024
During the visit, the team presented Biden with thoughtful gifts, including a personalized “No. 46 Biden” jersey and a commemorative basketball.
The president, showing his playful side, seemed particularly drawn to the basketball.
As the ceremony wound down, he livened up the atmosphere by tossing passes to Al Horford and Sen. Ed Markey in the crowd.
The White House visit was the Celtics’ first since 2008 and followed a dominant championship run.
Their path to victory was nothing short of impressive, ending by dispatching the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the 2024 NBA Finals and capping a stellar regular season with a remarkable 16-3 playoff performance.
The momentum hasn’t slowed for Boston, which has stormed out to a 12-3 start this season.
Sights are now set on a repeat, which has proven elusive since the Golden State Warriors did so in 2017 and 2018.
