(REUTERS) - LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and their fellow teammates on the Miami Heat were honored by President Obama at the White House on Monday (January 28) for their victory in the 2012 NBA Championship.
"You know this team traveled a long road to get where they are. In 2011 the Heat got all the way to the finals only to come up short but when you fall the real test is whether you can ignore the naysayers, pick yourself up and come back stronger. That's true in basketball but it's also true in life," Obama
told a group of team supporters, executives, family members and a sizable Florida political delegation.
The Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-106 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to clinch the championship. After losing the first game of the series, the Heat won four straight to earn the franchise's second NBA championship. In the final game, series MVP LeBron James, scored 26 points to go along with 13 assists and 11 rebounds, finishing with a triple-double in the biggest game of his career.
LeBron James thanked the President for "allowing us in the White House" and appeared genuinely dazzled by the moment.
"We're kids from Chicago and Dallas, Texas and Michigan and Ohio and South Dakota, Miami and we're in the White House right now. This is like hey, Momma I made it!" James said to the delight of many in attendance.
Dwayne Wade ended the ceremony by presenting Obama with an honorary team jersey and jokingly suggesting the president may be eligible for a short term contract.
(Video Courtesy of Reuters)
