Watch Live: Boston Celtics visit President Biden at White House
BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics will be welcomed to the White House by President Joe Biden on Thursday to celebrate the franchise's 18th NBA Championship.
You can watch the ceremony live at 4:30 p.m. on CBS News Boston in the video player above.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Joe Mazzulla and the rest of the team -- along with a contingency of front office members and Celtics ownership -- will spend some time at the White House and the president in the afternoon. There will be a brief ceremony on the South Lawn, and the team will present President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris with special Celtics jerseys.
With the banner raised at TD Garden, Thursday's ceremony at the White House will officially close the book on Boston's title run from last summer.
Celtics on their trip to the White House
While Jrue Holiday was honored in Washington D.C. three years ago as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks and Al Horford did so 17 years ago with the NCAA Champion Florida Gators, Thursday will be the first time that most of the team gets to celebrate at the White House.
Tatum and Derrick White spoke about the honor following Tuesday night's 120-117 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"I think it'll be cool. It's one of the perks of being a champion is going to the White House," said Tatum. "So we'll have that moment and take pictures and videos, and something that lasts a lifetime."
"I think it's gonna be fun," said White. "I mean, that's something that growing up you see teams that won championships go to the White House and just kind of celebrate that moment together. Just gonna be one of those teams that won a championship and then go to the White House and to celebrate with a great team and great people. It's gonna be fun."
Tatum jokingly asked White if he was going to wear his lavish championship ring to the ceremony, or if he was "too cool to wear it?"
"I'll think about it," replied White. "I didn't know that was a thing. That's good to know."
Celtics win 2023-24 NBA Championship
The Celtics are back at the White House for the first time since 2008 after winning the NBA Finals in five games over the Dallas Mavericks last June. Boston followed a dominant regular season with a dominant playoff run, going 16-3 en route to the franchise's NBA-leading 18th championship.
The Celtics are off to a 12-3 start this season as they look to be the NBA's first back-to-back champs since the Golden State Warriors won in 2017 and 2018. Boston will play the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. on Friday night.
The first time a championship Celtics team visited the White House came back in 1963 when President John F. Kennedy was in office.
