[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 9 (Monday, March 5, 2007)]
[Pages 223-225]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Honoring the 2006 National Basketball Association Champion Miami 
Heat

February 27, 2007

    Thank you all. Please be seated. It is such a joy to welcome the NBA 
champs, the Miami Heat, to the White House. Glad you all are here. This 
is the Miami Heat's first NBA championship. I congratulate you on a 
tremendous achievement, even though you beat a Texas team. [Laughter]
    I can assure you, however, then Governor Bush, the Governor of 
Florida, was thrilled, as were a lot of Florida fans. We've got a lot of 
members of the congressional delegation in the room. We got you a 
Senator here. We got Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, Alcee Hastings, Robert 
Wexler, Ander Crenshaw, Jeff Miller, Kendrick Meek, Ron Klein, and Tim 
Mahoney. Thank you all for coming.
    Most importantly, we got members of the Miami Heat family with us 
today. I'm really proud of Micky Arison and Madeleine, who is with us, 
as well as Nick. As you know, I used to be in pro sports. I never had 
the pleasure of winning anything. [Laughter] Must be pretty cool. 
[Laughter]
    I welcome Pat Riley, the president and head coach of the Heat. I 
welcome Randy Pfund, the general manager. I want to thank all the folks 
who make the organization run--the equipment people, the people that 
figure out how to get you to the plane on time, the folks who never 
really get much credit for making a franchise become a championship 
franchise. And we welcome you all here.
    I want to say something to the spouses of the players: Welcome. 
You've got a tough life, in many ways, with your spouse on the road all 
the time, and you deserve as much of this championship as they do. And 
so we welcome you here to the White House as well.
    All the fans who are here, thanks for coming. These players did 
something that they weren't supposed to do. Remember, they went into the 
Eastern Conference championship as the underdog. Nobody thought they 
could win. And then they get against the Mavericks, and they're two 
down--and 13 points behind with minutes remaining, 7

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minutes remaining in the third game. In other words, they lose that 
game, it's over. They weren't supposed to win. And they did something no 
team has done in nearly 30 years, which is win four straight and become 
the NBA champs. And your fans are really proud of you.
    This is a team with some of the NBA's bright stars. Dwyane Wade led 
the team in scoring--most valuable player in the finals. He was on the--
sportsman of the year for Sports Illustrated. All it said was, Dwyane 
Wade plays to win. Unfortunately, he hurt his shoulder. I know a lot of 
NBA fans, whether they like the Heat or not, are pulling for Dwyane to 
get back into action. We wish you a speedy recovery.
    Or take Alonzo Mourning. A lot of folks here in DC remember Alonzo 
Mourning. I don't know if the people understand it, but Alonzo had a 
kidney illness that a lot of folks said, ``Well, he'll never get back on 
the court again.'' He not only got back on the court; he blocked a lot 
of shots--[laughter]--which helped this team become the NBA champ.
    And then, of course, probably one the most well-known figures in the 
United States of America is a fellow that's hard to miss--[laughter]--a 
fellow Texan--[laughter]--big Shaq. He scored his 25,000th point in his 
career last night--or recently. And we congratulate you for that--last 
night, yes, last night. And--but he was an important figure in seeing 
to--seeing this team to the championship.
    But as Coach Riley gave me--he said, ``Just remember, the motto 
wasn't, `Each star matters;' the motto was, `15 strong.' '' In other 
words, it was a team effort that got these men here to the White House. 
Yes, they had the stars; everybody knew who they--who the stars are, but 
it was the capacity to play together, to put the team ahead of 
themselves, that enabled them to be here at the White House, saying, 
``Congratulations NBA champs.''
    And I appreciate very much--[applause]. So they asked Dwyane Wade--
he was the fellow that was the Sports Illustrated man--he said, ``We did 
this together.'' In other words, he recognized, in spite of the fact 
that he had a fine series, that he couldn't have done it without his 
teammates.
    Pat Riley had a lot to do with this team playing as a team. A team 
requires a good, solid leader in convincing people to put the team ahead 
of themselves. And that's exactly what Pat Riley has done. I'd say he's 
accomplished. After all, he's won seven NBA rings, that's all. 
[Laughter] They asked him about this ring, and I think it's interesting 
what he said. He said, ``I would have traded them all for this one.'' He 
cares about this team. And obviously, the players responded to his 
leadership.
    But what impresses me the most about the Miami Heat is their work in 
the community. That's what impresses me about them. I mean, I'm in awe 
of their athletic skills. Standing next to Shaq is an awe-inspiring 
experience. [Laughter] But I want to share some of the stories of these 
players and what they have done in their communities.
    Alonzo Mourning dedicated his entire salary from the Heat to 
charities that help low-income kidney patients and underprivileged 
youth. It wasn't 10 percent--[applause]. I would suggest not popping up 
on every story--[laughter]--because you're going to be tired. [Laughter] 
This is a giving team. [Laughter]
    Antoine Walker founded the Eight Foundation to provide education and 
sports opportunities for inner-city kids in his hometown of Chicago. He 
came from Chicago; he's putting something back in the community from 
whence he came.
    Dwyane Wade has given a lot of his salary to his church. He donates 
basketball shoes to a youth sports program at his alma mater, which 
happens to be Marquette University. He founded Wade's World Foundation, 
which gives children educational and social opportunities, such as the 
chance to spend the day at Disney World.
    And then, of course, you've got the big man, Shaq. He works as a 
reserve police officer with the Miami Beach Police Department. He gives 
new meaning to the phrase, ``the long arm of the law.'' [Laughter]
    Heat players volunteer their time in all kinds of causes, ranging 
from reading to drug prevention to youth basketball. This is a 
championship team on the court, and this is a championship team off the 
court, and it

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is my high honor to welcome to the White House as the NBA champs.

Note: The President spoke at 3:52 p.m. in the East Room at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida; 
and Micky Arison, owner, Nicholas Arison, limited partner, and Shaquille 
O'Neal, center, Miami Heat.