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." 点击查看更多双语新闻 (AP)

本周二，布什总统在白宫接见了NBA上赛季总冠军迈阿密热火队，并对球队给予了高度赞扬。但布什说，他对热火队可谓是爱恨交加。 布什总统在白宫的东大厅接见了热火队全体球员，他说：“能在白宫欢迎热火队的到来，真是件令人高兴的事。这是热火队的第一个NBA总冠军。即使你们击败了一支德克萨斯州的球队（布什为德克萨斯州人），但我仍然要祝贺你们取得骄人战绩。” 布什总统曾是德克萨斯州流浪者棒球队的老板。他说：“大家知道，我也在职业体育这一行里混过。但我从未享受过胜利的喜悦。” 热火队教练帕特·莱利还在见面仪式上向布什总统赠送了一件背后印有总统姓名的热火队1号纪念球衣和一个有热火队全体球员签名的篮球。 布什说：“热火队的表现可以说是出人意料。他们先是不利的情况下赢得东部冠军。没人想到他们能赢。” “接着他们又杀进决赛，勇斗小牛队。他们先是连输两场，并在第三场比赛还剩17分钟时落后小牛队13分。如果这场比赛输了，热火便将与总冠军失之交臂。” “但热火创造了一个近30年来不曾出现的奇迹，他们连赢四场，最终夺得NBA总冠军。” 其间，布什总统还在地板上玩起了运球，但由于球落在地毯上，没能弹起来。这把热火队的球员们逗得哈哈大笑。 布什还赞扬了热火队球员所做的社会工作。他对热火队阿隆索·莫宁成立基金会、“闪电侠”韦德做慈善工作、以及奥尼尔在迈阿密海滩担任兼职警察表示了称赞。 NBA上赛季总决赛的“最有价值球员”韦德说，能到白宫参加总统接见仪式是个“让人难以置信的荣誉”。 他说，“能来白宫的球队都是一些不同寻常的球队，都是冠军队。” “今天能和队友们来到白宫，足以证明上个赛季我们的表现的确很出色！” （ 英语点津姗姗编辑）