Miami Heat's Shaquille O'Neal (L) presents a basketball to U.S. President George W. Bush during a ceremony honoring the 2006 NBA Champions in the East Room at the White House in Washington February 27, 2007. [Reuters] President George W. Bush highly praised the Miami Heat's championship season at a White House ceremony Tuesday but said he had mixed emotions. "It is such a joy to welcome the Miami Heat to the White House," Bush told a packed crowd in the East Room. "It was the Miami Heat's first championship. I congratulate you on a tremendous achievement. Even though you beat a Texas team." "As you know I used to be in pro sports," said Bush, the former owner of baseball's Texas Rangers. "I never had the pleasure of winning anything." Miami coach Pat Riley gave Bush a number one Heat jersey with the president's name on the back along with an autographed ball . "The Heat did something they weren't supposed to do," Bush said. "They went into the Eastern Conference championship as the underdog. Nobody thought they could win". "And then went up against the Mavericks. They're two down and 13 points behind with seven minutes remaining in the third game. They lose that one, it's over. "They did something no team has done in nearly 30 years, which is win four straight to become the NBA champs." Bush dribbled the ball expecting it to bounce back up but it died on the carpet, eliciting a roar of laughter from the Heat players. Bush lauded the Heat's work in the community, citing Alonzo Mourning's foundation, Dwyane Wade's charitable work , and O'Neal's part-time job as a police officer in Miami Beach. Wade, the Most Valuable Player of the Heat's triumph over the Mavericks, said it was "an unbelievable honor" to attend the White House ceremony. "You always see teams that go to the White House and you know those are special teams, championship teams," said Wade. "To be there today with this group of guys, knowing that we did something special last year, is just great." 點擊查看更多雙語新聞 (AP)

本周二，布什總統在白宮接見了NBA上賽季總冠軍邁阿密熱火隊，并對球隊給予了高度贊揚。但布什說，他對熱火隊可謂是愛恨交加。 布什總統在白宮的東大廳接見了熱火隊全體球員，他說：“能在白宮歡迎熱火隊的到來，真是件令人高興的事。這是熱火隊的第一個NBA總冠軍。即使你們擊敗了一支德克薩斯州的球隊（布什為德克薩斯州人），但我仍然要祝賀你們取得驕人戰績。” 布什總統曾是德克薩斯州流浪者棒球隊的老板。他說：“大家知道，我也在職業體育這一行里混過。但我從未享受過勝利的喜悅。” 熱火隊教練帕特·萊利還在見面儀式上向布什總統贈送了一件背后印有總統姓名的熱火隊1號紀念球衣和一個有熱火隊全體球員簽名的籃球。 布什說：“熱火隊的表現可以說是出人意料。他們先是不利的情況下贏得東部冠軍。沒人想到他們能贏。” “接著他們又殺進決賽，勇斗小牛隊。他們先是連輸兩場，并在第三場比賽還剩17分鐘時落后小牛隊13分。如果這場比賽輸了，熱火便將與總冠軍失之交臂。” “但熱火創造了一個近30年來不曾出現的奇跡，他們連贏四場，最終奪得NBA總冠軍。” 其間，布什總統還在地板上玩起了運球，但由于球落在地毯上，沒能彈起來。這把熱火隊的球員們逗得哈哈大笑。 布什還贊揚了熱火隊球員所做的社會工作。他對熱火隊阿隆索·莫寧成立基金會、“閃電俠”韋德做慈善工作、以及奧尼爾在邁阿密海灘擔任兼職警察表示了稱贊。 NBA上賽季總決賽的“最有價值球員”韋德說，能到白宮參加總統接見儀式是個“讓人難以置信的榮譽”。 他說，“能來白宮的球隊都是一些不同尋常的球隊，都是冠軍隊。” “今天能和隊友們來到白宮，足以證明上個賽季我們的表現的確很出色！” （ 英語點津姍姍編輯）