The Boston Celtics traveled to the White House on Thursday to meet with President Joe Biden and celebrate the franchise’s 18th NBA championship. The 2023-24 Celtics players, coaching staff, and ownership group were present at the South Lawn for Thursday’s event.
Boston Celtics visited President Joe Biden at White House and celebrated their first NBA championship since 2008
After the Celtics lined up on the stage, President Biden opened the ceremony with an address. “All of you may not know this, but my Secret Service name is Celtic. For real, because I’m Irish,” Biden said. “Everybody behind me is Irish in their heart. I feel a special pride in this trophy for this old Irish Celtic. To all you Celtics: Congratulations.”
“You all know what the great Red Auerbach said,” Biden continued. “He said the Celtics aren’t just a basketball team, they’re a way of life. … Passion, loyalty, first-team [mentality], full of heart, guts, and faith. We see from you, the ownership group, the executives, the coaches, essentially coach Joe [Mazzulla].
“I used to like Joe. Joe’s the youngest head coach to win a title since the Great Bill Russell. I told him, I used to be the youngest. Now, I’m the oldest. I like being the youngest better.”
Biden then recounted Boston’s incredible run to an 18th title. The 2023-24 Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in the first round, eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals, swept the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, and beat the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.
“Together, you guys built one of the deepest teams of all time,” Biden said. “Incredible players, led by Jayson [Tatum] and Jaylen [Brown] and Derrick [White] and Jrue [Holiday], Big Al [Horford]. I know it wasn’t easy. … You put in the work. You clocked one of the greatest seasons ever. 64 wins — the best record in the league last year.
“More points per possession than any team in NBA history. Through the playoffs — beating the Heat in five, Cavs in five, the Pacers in four. Then you dominated Dallas on both ends of the floor. And now that 18th championship banner hangs in the rafters. With the start of the new season, you’re hungry for more.”
John F. Kennedy was the first president to host an NBA champion when the Celtics visited in 1963
Biden also mentioned a historical fact about the tradition of basketball teams visiting the White House, stating that John F. Kennedy was the first president to host an NBA champion when the Celtics visited in 1963.
“Part of that wonderful tradition celebrating the power of sports to bring people together. It’s a tradition that I’ve had the honor to continue,” he added.
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“No matter the sport. What these champions all have in common are core values … Hard work, teamwork, respect, and the knowledge that no one of us is ever as good as all of us can be when we’re together.”
Five-time All-Star forward Jayson Tatum presented Biden with his own custom No. 46 Celtics jersey. Boston also had a custom Celtics jersey for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Grousbeck and Biden lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy on stage
Both Grousbeck and Biden also lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy on stage for a photo as the United States Marine Band played Queen’s “We Are The Champions.”
After the ceremony on the White House’s South Lawn, Celtics primary owner Wyc Grousbeck discussed his plan to run the team for the next three years during a conference call with reporters.
“It’s underway. There’s a lot of interest,” Grousbeck said of the sale. “That is one comment, I guess. I would like to limit it to that, but I would say that the plan is that I will stay [in charge] for three more years. That’s what’s laid out. We’ll go from there.
“Having said that, I think I’d just rather talk about this team that we have in front of us, with us right now, that has the capacity to contend again. I think we’re contenders this year, and we can be contenders in the future, and that’s what I’m most excited about.”
Grousbeck, who was making his second trip to the White House as an NBA champion, has been in charge of the Celtics since 2002. He founded and led the group, Boston Basketball Partners LLC, that purchased the Celtics for $360 million about 22 years ago.
The Celtics were valued at $4.7 billion by Forbes in October 2023.
