What is now a longstanding tradition was started almost by chance. While baseball teams had visited the White House as early as 1865, no basketball franchise made the trip until 1963. At that time the president, John F. Kennedy, happened to be a Massachusetts native and his Boston Celtics happened to be fresh off their fourth straight NBA title. But for Tom "Satch" Sanders it didn't matter that a number of circumstances had to align perfectly for the Celtics to stop by 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. He had been summoned to the White House in a time when African-Americans—professional athletes included—still couldn't stay in certain hotels or eat at certain restaurants.
Satch Sanders Q&A: The NBA And The White House
