"Joe Mazzulla effing hates this guy" - NBA fans in stitches over Joe Biden's major fumble while hosting Celtics at White House
The Boston Celtics were honored at the White House by President Joe Biden, who welcomed the team for its 2023-24 NBA title win. While on the South Lawn, the President caused laughter among the Celtics during his speech as he almost misidentified them on stage.
As he began to introduce the 2024 NBA champions, the 46th President of the United States attempted to welcome the team, only to pause in a moment of genuine confusion. Turning to the team, he double-checked their name, seeking confirmation before receiving the go-ahead from them:
"The 2024 NBA Champions, the Bo..." he began, trailing off before confirming with the team, "The Celtics, right?"
This moment was posted by NBA Central on X (formerly Twitter) and has since garnered nearly half a million views. Fans couldn’t help but laugh at the slip-up, with one Twitter user humorously suggesting that Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla wasn’t a fan of the President:
"Joe Mazzulla effing hates this guy."
"I’m just here for the comments! 🤣, "another said.
"No way broooooo noooo wayyyyy," commented a third.
Rival fans took the opportunity to poke fan at Celtics fans:
"Even the president forgot ab their chip," a fan page tweeted.
"NOBODY REMEMBERS THEIR CHIP I'M CRYING," wrote another fan.
"Lmaoooooo that is embarrassing for the Celtics" one more said.
Boston Celtics players gift Joe Biden with his custom jersey
The Boston Celtics became just the second team to visit the White House during President Biden's presidency, following the Denver Nuggets' decision to skip the visit last year due to scheduling conflicts. On Thursday, the Celtics fittingly celebrated their historic 18th title at the nation's capital.
In spite of the humorous moment earlier when the President almost misstated the team's name, the Celtics took the opportunity to present Biden with a gift. Jayson Tatum and Derrick White handed him a custom Boston Celtics jersey.
The jersey featured President Biden's name No. 46, representing his position as the 46th President of the US.
The Celtics' White House visit came just before their NBA game against the Washington Wizards on Friday night. After snapping the Cleveland Cavaliers' 15-game unbeaten streak, the Celtics aim to continue their momentum and secure a win over the struggling Wizards, following their brief stop at the South Lawn.