US President Biden welcomes the 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics The White House On Thursday, however, his comments suggested some uncertainty or perhaps attempted humor.
During his address, Biden turned to the team and asked, “You’re the Celtics, right?” This elicited light laughter from the audience.
He continued the comments lightly, saying, “They just appeared. I don’t know where they came from.”
In his speech, Biden revealed his Secret Service code name. “Y’all might not know this, but my Secret Service name is ‘Celtic.’ For real, because I’m Irish,” he shared. “Everyone behind me is Irish at heart. I am especially proud of this trophy for this old Irish Celtic. To all you Celtics, congratulations.”
He highlighted the historic connection, noting that John F. Kennedy was the first president to host an NBA champion in 1963 when the Celtics visited.
“It’s part of a wonderful tradition, celebrating the power of sports to bring people together. It’s a tradition that I’m honored to continue. No matter the sport. What these champions have in common are the core values. … Hard work, teamwork, Respect and knowledge that none of us can be as good as all of us when we’re together,” Biden commented.
After his address, Biden received a personalized Celtics jersey and picked up a basketball, which he dribbled and passed to the crowd as he descended the stairs.
The event, held on the South Lawn, was attended by the 2023-24 Celtics team, coaches and ownership group.
Notably, the 2023 champion Denver Nuggets missed their visit to the White House due to “scheduling issues,” according to the Denver Post.
The previous NBA champions to visit Biden’s White House were the 2021-2022 Golden State Warriors in January 2023. A visit to the Celtics was set for November, with Trump expected to take office by the end of January next year.