NBA champion Celtics to visit White House, President Biden on Thursday originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics say they will make the traditional champions’ visit to the White House on Thursday, when they will be welcomed by President Joe Biden a day before their game in Washington against the Wizards.

The Celtics won their NBA-record 18th championship in June, beating the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals in five games. They will visit Washington for the second and final time during the regular season on Friday for an NBA Cup matchup that tips off at 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.

The Celtics first visited the White House as champions in 1963 in the John F. Kennedy administration and last went in 2008, when they met with former President George W. Bush.

​​”I think it’ll be cool,” Celtics forward Jayson Tatum said after Boston’s win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday. “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.”

The festivities are expected to begin in the late afternoon.