The Boston Celtics took down the Dallas Mavericks in the 2023-24 NBA Finals, anchored by Jaylen Brown’s Finals MVP performance. To celebrate that victory, the Celtics will travel to the White House to celebrate their 2024 NBA championship on Thursday, November 21, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern, per Noa Dalzell of SB Nation. The visit has not yet been officially announced by the Celtics or White House. However, the Massachusetts State House News Service reported.
The Celtics will be in Washington, DC, to play the Wizards on Friday, November 22.
No NBA teams visited the White House during the Donald Trump administration, so this may be the last team visit to the President of the United States until the next term.
Celtics hot start toward back-to-back titles
The Eastern Conference is again looking top-heavy. Last year, the Celtics ran away with it, securing a 64-18 record. That was good enough to be 14 games ahead of the second-best 50-32 New York Knicks. This year looks like a two-horse race as the Cleveland Cavaliers are setting the pace at 14-0, with the Celtics not too far behind at 11-3.
Even in the early 2024-25 season, the Celtics and Jayson Tatum, in particular, aren’t shying away from intensity. Tatum missed a game-winner attempt against the Toronto Raptors Saturday night but didn’t back down. He eventually drained a game-winning three in overtime.
“I got a lot of problems in life, confidence has never been one of them,” Tatum told reporters. “I worked too hard at my craft. I played too much basketball to ever doubt the next shot, whether it’s an in-and-out miss or whether I miss the entire rim. I know what I’m capable of, and you always believe that the next one is going in.”
Head coach Joe Mazzulla is the backbone of the team’s identity. His handling of the departure of former Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee provides a good primer for his unique personality.
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“I told Charles when he left, ‘I’m not talking to you during the season. I’m not waving to you at the national anthem. I’m not doing that. You’re an enemy,’” Mazzulla recalled. “So he breached NBA rules and came into the assistant coach locker room and forced me to give him a hug. That could easily be a psychological tell that knocks you off your game competitively. He knew what he was doing.”
Boston won’t be whole again until they have Kristaps Porzingis back on the court from injury. The team has been feeding off his energy from the bench in his absence. The Celtics hope to have him back in December.
“Tonight, he was very verbal,” Brown said about Porzingis. “He was in his coaching bag, giving guys what he was seeing out there. That’s a good sign. That’s a good signal that he’s getting close. He’s getting ready. His mind, his spirit is out there with us. We can’t wait to welcome him back.”
The Celtics host the undefeated 14-0 Cavaliers on Tuesday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m. EST.
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