WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The White House was tinted green on Thursday, when President Joe Biden 鈥� Secret Service code name: Celtic 鈥� welcomed 鈥淐oach Joe鈥� Mazzulla and the Boston Celtics to the South Lawn to celebrate the franchise鈥檚 unprecedented 18th NBA championship.
In a tradition believed to have begun when Bill Russell鈥檚 1963 Celtics met with President John F. Kennedy, Biden welcomed the NBA鈥檚 2024 champions and gave them a tour of the Oval Office. In all, the league鈥檚 most-decorated franchise has won at least one title in eight of the last 13 presidential administrations.
鈥淭he Celtics aren鈥檛 just a basketball team. They鈥檙e a way of life,鈥� Biden told the crowd, quoting Celtics patriarch Red Auerbach before receiving a No. 46 jersey from All-Star Jayson Tatum and guard Derrick White.
Biden noted that his Secret Service code name is 鈥淐eltic.鈥�
鈥淔or real. Because I'm Irish,鈥� the president said. 鈥淓verybody behind me is Irish in their heart. I feel a special pride in this trophy. From this old Irish Celtic, to all you Celtics, congratulations.鈥�
Biden, who was once one of the youngest senators in U.S. history and is now the country鈥檚 oldest president ever, said he felt a kinship with Mazzulla, who was 35 when he led the Celtics to the title in his second season.
鈥淛oe鈥檚 the youngest head coach to win a title since the great Bill Russell,鈥� Biden said. 鈥淚 told him I used to be the youngest and now I鈥檓 the oldest. I liked being the youngest better.鈥�
The Celtics were greeted with a band playing 鈥淪hipping up to Boston,鈥� before Biden and team owner Wyc Grousbeck joined them on the risers facing the Washington Monument; green lights shined from from the eaves of the White House behind them. Among those in attendance were Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and most of the state鈥檚 congressional delegation.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really know what to expect. I walked in, I was like 'I鈥檓 more excited than I thought I was going be,鈥� White told reporters afterward. 鈥淭o be in the White House, to be where all the decisions 鈥� all the cool things 鈥� are happening, that was the best part.鈥�
Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca said Biden's 4-year-old grandson, Beau Jr., tried on his championship ring. (Oshae Brissett, a member of the 2024 team who is not with the Celtics this year, was at the ceremony and received his championship ring on Thursday.)
Biden also received a commemorative basketball, which he tossed to Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, who was sitting in the front row, and then to Celtics center Al Horford.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 expecting a pump fake,鈥� White told reporters. 鈥淚t鈥檚 harder to make a pass in a suit, so I was impressed.鈥�
Biden was well-briefed on the Celtics history and their success last year, when they cruised to 64 wins in the regular season 鈥� their most since winning the 2008 title, and the fourth-best in franchise history. They went 16-3 in the playoffs, in five games.
Biden even noted that the 鈥�24 Celtics had the highest ratio of points per possession in NBA history 鈥� one of the wonkier stats, but one that had team vice president and stats guru Mike Zarren beaming.
鈥淭he basketball stats community has come a long way: the President of the United States is talking about points per possession!鈥� Zarren posted on X after speaking to reporters at the ceremony.
Members of the Celtics organization went back into the White House after the festivities to meet with administration officials on pet issues, including 鈥淩aise the Age,鈥� which seeks to have 18- to 20-year-olds treated as juveniles in the criminal justice system, and 鈥淐urbside Care,鈥� which provides medical aid to new mothers in underserved communities.
鈥淭his was a very exciting and moving day,鈥� Grousbeck told reporters in a video call afterwards. 鈥淲e had not been focused on this. We got through , and then it was all business. Joe (Mazzulla) doesn鈥檛 want us to dwell too much on the past, he wants everyone to focus on moving forward. Having said that, everyone here, including Joe, seemed to have a great time.鈥�
Zarren said he spoke to a Secret Service agent who was a Celtics fan and had to bear with the Golden State Warriors鈥� visit two years ago.
鈥淗e told them it was a bittersweet moment because he wished his Celtics were here. And they said to him, 鈥楧on鈥檛 worry, they鈥檒l be here soon,鈥欌�� Zarren said. 鈥淪o for him, it was a good moment to see us show up inside there.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Jimmy Golen, The Associated Press
