WASHINGTON — The White Home was tinted inexperienced on Thursday, when President Joe Biden — Secret Service code title: Celtic — welcomed “Coach Joe” Mazzulla and the Boston Celtics to the South Garden to have fun the franchise’s unprecedented 18th NBA championship.
In a convention believed to have begun when Invoice Russell’s 1963 Celtics met with President John F. Kennedy, Biden welcomed the NBA’s 2024 champions and gave them a tour of the Oval Workplace. In all, the league’s most-decorated franchise has gained at the least one title in eight of the final 13 presidential administrations.
“The Celtics aren’t only a basketball workforce. They’re a lifestyle,” Biden advised the group, quoting Celtics patriarch Purple Auerbach earlier than receiving a No. 46 jersey from All-Star Jayson Tatum and guard Derrick White.
Biden famous that his Secret Service code title is “Celtic.”
“For actual. As a result of I am Irish,” the president stated. “All people behind me is Irish of their coronary heart. I really feel a particular delight on this trophy. From this outdated Irish Celtic, to all you Celtics, congratulations.”
Biden, who was as soon as one of many youngest senators in U.S. historical past and is now the nation’s oldest president ever, stated he felt a kinship with Mazzulla, who was 35 when he led the Celtics to the title in his second season.
“Joe’s the youngest head coach to win a title because the nice Invoice Russell,” Biden stated. “I advised him I was the youngest and now I’m the oldest. I preferred being the youngest higher.”
The Celtics had been greeted with a band taking part in “Transport as much as Boston,” earlier than Biden and workforce proprietor Wyc Grousbeck joined them on the risers going through the Washington Monument; inexperienced lights shined from from the eaves of the White Home behind them. Amongst these in attendance had been Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and many of the state’s congressional delegation.
“I didn’t actually know what to anticipate. I walked in, I used to be like ‘I’m extra excited than I assumed I used to be going be,” White advised reporters afterward. “To be within the White Home, to be the place all the choices — all of the cool issues — are taking place, that was the perfect half.”
Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca stated Biden’s 4-year-old grandson, Beau Jr., tried on his championship ring. (Oshae Brissett, a member of the 2024 workforce who shouldn’t be with the Celtics this yr, was on the ceremony and obtained his championship ring on Thursday.)
Biden additionally obtained a commemorative basketball, which he tossed to Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, who was sitting within the entrance row, after which to Celtics middle Al Horford.
“I wasn’t anticipating a pump pretend,” White advised reporters. “It’s more durable to make a move in a swimsuit, so I used to be impressed.”
Biden was well-briefed on the Celtics historical past and their success final yr, once they cruised to 64 wins within the common season – their most since successful the 2008 title, and the fourth-best in franchise historical past. They went 16-3 within the playoffs, eliminating the Dallas Mavericks in 5 video games.
Biden even famous that the ’24 Celtics had the very best ratio of factors per possession in NBA historical past – one of many wonkier stats, however one which had workforce vp and stats guru Mike Zarren beaming.
“The basketball stats neighborhood has come a good distance: the President of america is speaking about factors per possession!” Zarren posted on X after chatting with reporters on the ceremony.
Members of the Celtics group went again into the White Home after the festivities to satisfy with administration officers on pet points, together with “Increase the Age,” which seeks to have 18- to 20-year-olds handled as juveniles within the felony justice system, and “Curbside Care,” which offers medical support to new moms in underserved communities.
“This was a really thrilling and shifting day,” Grousbeck advised reporters in a video name afterwards. “We had not been targeted on this. We obtained by the banner and opening night time, after which it was all enterprise. Joe (Mazzulla) doesn’t need us to dwell an excessive amount of on the previous, he desires everybody to deal with shifting ahead. Having stated that, everybody right here, together with Joe, appeared to have a good time.”
Zarren stated he spoke to a Secret Service agent who was a Celtics fan and needed to bear with the Golden State Warriors’ go to two years in the past.
“He advised them it was a bittersweet second as a result of he wished his Celtics had been right here. They usually stated to him, ‘Don’t fear, they’ll be right here quickly,’” Zarren stated. “So for him, it was a very good second to see us present up inside there.”
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