Watch: President Biden pump-fakes a basketball and passes it to Al Horford
Biden dished a pass to Al Horford after a basketball was brought out during the ceremony.
President Joe Biden welcomed the Celtics to the White House on Thursday, honoring the team for its NBA-record 18th championship.
At one point during the ceremony, a basketball was brought onto the stage and handed to Biden. He held it up to the crowd and turned to the Celtics players.
He pump-faked the ball and passed it to Al Horford who caught it, smiled, and handed the ball back.
Derrick White said he wasn’t expecting the move from the President, who celebrated his 82nd birthday on Wednesday.
“I thought it was funny. I wasn’t expecting a pump-fake,” White told reporters. “We were kind of joking around that it’s hard to make a pass in a suit, so we were kind of impressed.”
The ceremony lasted about 10 minutes. The Celtics gave Biden a jersey with his name and the number 46 on the back, representing his time as the 46th President of the United States.
Biden posed with the jersey, the basketball, and the Larry O’Brien trophy. He spoke glowingly of the Celtics, calling them the winningest franchise in NBA history, saying that they dominated the Mavericks in the NBA Finals, and praising their depth.
He also said his Secret Service codename is Celtic, noting his Irish heritage.
The Celtics will stay in Washington for a matchup with the Wizards on Friday night. The White House visit was their first since 2008.
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