The Boston Celtics celebrated their record-breaking 18th championship with President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday. The South Lawn turned green as the team marked its dominant 2024 season and historic legacy.
Biden, whose Secret Service codename is “Celtic” due to his Irish roots, welcomed the team, joking, “Everyone behind me is Irish at heart.” He praised head coach Joe Mazzulla for becoming the youngest title-winning coach since Bill Russell and reflected on his own journey from the youngest senator to the oldest U.S. president.
Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Derrick White presented Biden with a No. 46 jersey and a commemorative basketball, sparking a lighthearted moment as the President showed off his passing skills.
Biden highlighted the Celtics’ dominant 2024 campaign, which featured 64 wins and a 16-3 playoff run that ended with a Finals victory over the Dallas Mavericks. He even cited their league-best points per possession, a nod to Boston’s modern efficiency.
For Boston, Jayson Tatum averaged the most points, rebounds and assists for the team with 25 PPG, 9.7 RPG and 6.3 APG, while his partner in crime Jaylen Brown averaged 23.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 3.3 APG along with leading the team in steals with 1.2. The rest of the starters chipped in with Derrick White averaging 16.7 PPG and 1 block and 1 steal per game.
Kristaps only played 7 games but averaged 12.3 PPG and 1.6 BPG when he was on the floor. The off season acquirement of Jrue Holiday is what got them over the curve of loosing in the finals 2 years prior to winning it all. Jrue averaged 13 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 4.1 APG.
For Boston, the visit honored their storied history and signaled a bright future as the league’s most decorated franchise.