How Celtics Feel About Upcoming Championship Trip To White House

BOSTON — The Celtics will take a trip down to Washington, D.C. to celebrate their franchise’s 18th championship with United States President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday.

For everyone on the team, except for guard Jrue Holiday, it’ll be a first.

Teams are welcomed to the nation’s capital after winning a championship as part of an ongoing tradition. It seals the final pat on the back for a job well done. The Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots have made a combined four trips in the past decade, but for the Celtics, it’ll be their first time since 2008 when Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen met then-President George W. Bush.

“I think it’ll be cool,” Jayson Tatum said after Tuesday night’s 120-117 win over the Cavaliers. “It’s one of the perks of being a champion is going to the White House. … So we’ll have that moment and take pictures and videos, and something that lasts a lifetime.”

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Boston already made its first of two trips to Washington scheduled for this season, defeating the Wizards on Oct. 24 with a 20-point blowout. This time, Tatum and the rest of the title-defending Celtics will get to throw on their Sunday best over six decades after the organization’s first championship-celebrating visit to the White House — in 1963 during the John F. Kennedy administration.

For a 26-year-old with plenty of basketball to come like Tatum, it’ll be a surreal full-circle moment. But for a 38-year-old veteran who’s hung around for 18 seasons like Al Horford, it’s been a long time coming. Either way, Boston plans on letting the moment sink in before sticking around to play the Wizards on Friday and continue the NBA Cup’s group stage play.

“I think it’s gonna be fun,” Derrick White said. “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, who revealed the season-long headband agreement with White, did raise an accessory-based question before heading off on the trip.

“You gonna bring your ring?” Tatum asked White. “… Too cool to wear it?”

“I’ll think about it,” White replied. “I didn’t know that was a thing. That’s good to know.”