BOSTON — The Celtics are scheduled to be at the White House on Thursday in Washington D.C. just like most championship teams. The C’s take on the Wizards on Friday, so considering they have the day off Thursday, it’s the perfect time to visit.
Some players have already visited the White House, like Al Horford, who went as part of the Florida championship teams in college. For others, it’ll be their first time as they get to go as the 2024 NBA champions.
Not every NBA team ends up in the White House for one reason or another. The Nuggets, the 2023 champs, didn’t make it because of scheduling conflicts. The Warriors (2022) and Bucks (2021) both made the visit after their respective championships. The Bucks’ visit in 2021 was the first time an NBA team visited the White House since 2016. The 2008 Celtics team also made the trip after they won it all over the Lakers, as well.
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Here’s everything the Celtics said after their win over the Cavaliers on Tuesday about visiting the White House:
Jayson Tatum: “I think it’ll be cool. One of the perks of being a champion is going to the White House. You see most of the former teams attend, so we’ll have that moment and take pictures and videos. It’s something that’ll last a lifetime.”
Derrick White: “I think it’s going to be fun. 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. It’s just to be one of those teams that won a championship and go to the White House and celebrate with a great team and great people, it’s going to be a lot of fun.
“I think it’s going to be important just being with the team. Obviously, we’re always close and we’re always together, so this is another thing we can all do together and just kind of enjoy that moment as a team.”
Al Horford: “Yeah, that was awesome (going with Florida). That was a really cool experience getting to go to the White House to be there. We had a blast. So they did the thing on the lawn outside in the courtyard. There were other college teams there as well, so it was cool to interact with some of them and do that stuff. So it’s a really neat experience. It’s an honor to be able to go to the White House.
“It’s gonna be awesome. I’m excited about it. It’s something that over the years you always watch all the champions go there and that’s kind of what it’s done. So being in this position I’m going to soak it all in.”
