Sitting presidents have been welcoming championship teams to the White House regularly since Ronald Reagan’s administration, but even before that, the commander in chief occasionally got to rub elbows with a few sports superstars.
In the case of the 1963 Boston Celtics, a native Bostonian inhabiting the oval office made a presidential visit a no-brainer. Brookline-born John F. Kennedy held office at that time, and he took advantage of it to welcome in his home team after the Celtics’ fifth straight title.
A photo of the moment, signed by everyone in attendance — including Kennedy — is up for auction at Lelands. The high bid as of Wednesday afternoon was more than $1,100.
If any diehard Celtics fans miss out on this photo, fear not. In a little more than a week, they can bid on a 1974 Celtics championship ring.