President Joe Biden made his first public appearance since turning 82 on Thursday, hosting the NBA champion Boston Celtics at the White House. In his brief remarks on the South Lawn, Biden joked about the team’s identity, quipping, “You’re Celtics, right?” before dribbling a basketball in front of a crowd.
The 2024 NBA champions were honored at the event, with Biden speaking for about five minutes. He joked about not knowing some of the players behind him, saying, “I don’t know where the hell they came from,” before acknowledging the Celtics as the team that had just won the title.
BIDEN: “2024 NBA champions, the Balls— you’re Celtics, right?”
He’s f**king hilarious
I can’t believe that he still has the nuclear codes！pic.twitter.com/cPGp3dsToV
— SpeedySMM (@speedysmm) November 22, 2024
Biden’s remarks seemed to playfully address questions about his age and mental sharpness, which have been topics of debate in recent months, especially following his decision to relinquish the Democratic presidential nomination in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost the November 5 election.
In another lighthearted moment, Biden shared that his Secret Service code name is “Celtic,” a nod to his Irish heritage. Hunter Biden, his son, was also spotted at the event, with his own code name, “Chieftain,” reportedly assigned to him by the Secret Service.
Although Biden’s appearance marked a moment of levity, the outgoing president remained silent on pressing issues, including his controversial decision to allow Ukraine to use US rockets inside Russia and the ongoing transition to President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. Biden also avoided questions from the press, as he had during his recent South America tour.
Despite the political uncertainty surrounding his administration, Biden worked the rope line and posed for selfies with guests before dribbling a basketball on the White House driveway, a light moment before heading inside.
