Joe Biden can't help himself with a bizarre joke as he welcomes NBA Champion Boston Celtics to White House

In 1 of his last acts arsenic President of the United States - astatine slightest successful a sports consciousness - Joe Biden welcomed the 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics to the White House to observe their accomplishments.

The Celtics gathered successful Washington, DC for an yearly accepted solemnisation of the accomplishments of the league's champion.

Members of the championship-winning squad gathered down Biden extracurricular the White House arsenic the outgoing President congratulated them connected the title. The Celtics besides gave Biden a jersey of theirs with his sanction and the fig 46 connected the back.

However, the 82-year-old was met with a substance of awkward chuckles and stunned soundlessness erstwhile helium attempted to marque a bizarre gag astatine the podium. 

He appeared to mockingly confuse the Celtics with a fictional Baltimore franchise - the Maryland metropolis does not person an NBA squad - earlier clarifying Boston's name. 

'I don't cognize immoderate of these guys down maine but they conscionable showed up,' helium began. 'I don't cognize wherever the hellhole they came from.

He past appeared to stumble implicit his words arsenic helium quipped: 'The 2024 NBA Champions: the Bals- ... you guys are the Celtics, right?' 

The champion players gathered down him looked highly uncomfortable with a mates seemingly incapable to separate the outgoing president's gag from yet different gaffe. 

A mates of the hoops stars nodded successful confirmation, portion a fistful fto retired an anxious chuckle. 

Biden went connected to punctuation legendary NBA caput coach Arnold 'Red' Auerbach, who led the Celtics to 9 NBA championships from 1950 to 1966. 

'As Red Auerbach utilized to say, the Celtics aren't conscionable a hoops team, they're a mode of life,' the 46th President said.

Those contiguous astatine the White House included the players and coaching unit that won the title. Even Oshae Brissett, a subordinate of the rubric winning squad who is presently an unsigned escaped agent, was capable to articulation his erstwhile teammates successful the celebration.

Inversely, Baylor Scheierman - a rookie who was drafted aft the Celtics won the rubric - was astatine the White House, but was not honored with the team.

Boston won an NBA grounds 18th title implicit the summertime arsenic the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks successful 5 games.

After finishing the regular play arsenic the champion squad successful the league, the Celtics made casual enactment of their roadworthy to the finals.

They knocked disconnected the Miami Heat, past the Cleveland Cavaliers - beating some teams successful 5 games. Following that, they past swept the Indiana Pacers successful the Eastern Conference Finals to marque their 2nd NBA Finals quality successful 3 years. 

The Celtics bushed the Mavericks by 18 points successful Game 1 of the Finals, past by 7 points successful Game 2 earlier the bid flipped to Dallas.

Boston won Game 3 by 7 points arsenic good - starring galore to judge that a cleanable expanse whitethorn beryllium successful bid erstwhile again.

But an inspired show by Dallas successful Game 4 saw Luka Doncic pb the Mavericks to a 38 constituent triumph - the 3rd largest triumph successful the past of the NBA Finals.

But with the bid headed backmost to Boston for Game 5, the Celtics were capable to recover. 16 years to the time aft they won their past NBA rubric successful 2008, the Celtics bushed Dallas by 18 points to triumph banner 18.