Celtics enjoy trip to White House

The Boston Celtics started last season at the Vatican for training camp and ended it as National Basketball Association champions at the White House.

President George Bush greeted the NBA team at the White House Friday to honor the players, coaches and team owners.

While the Celtics are led by the Big Three (forwards Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce and guard Ray Allen), Bush said it took the entire team working together to win in the NBA Finals.

"We will remember the way you played together as a unit," Bush said, "as a team."

As a former owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team, Bush said with a laugh that he never got to know what it felt like to win a championship. He congratulated the owners of the Celtics, Wyc Grossbeck, Irv Grossbeck, Steve Pagliuca and Bob Epstein for their stellar season, one that culminated in Boston's first NBA title in 22 years.

"These are fan-oriented owners who understand that a sports franchise is only good as its fan base," Bush said.

The team presented Bush with a signed basketball and a green Celtics jersey with his name and the number 43 on the back. Pierce, the team's captain, joked that they gave him that number "even though" it was Kendrick Perkins', who is also from Texas. Bush is the nation's 43rd president.

"It is an honor being in your house today," said Pierce.

Pierce also said that the team gave a $100,000 check to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts after Hurricane Ike.

After his speech, Pierce told reporters that he was more nervous speaking at the White House than he ever was during a game. He said he has never been that close to the president before.

Garnett said Friday was about his team celebrating. Before the president's speech, he said they toured the White House together.

"Being here with my teammates, it's perfect," Garnett said.

During his speech, Bush mentioned the first time he met the Celtics coach Glenn "Doc" Rivers.

Rivers said he was surprised the president remembered meeting him when he was an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs and Bush was the governor of Texas.

The team ended the regular season with the best record in the NBA and topped the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals to claim Boston's 17th championship, most in NBA history.

"We were in the Vatican during training camp, and we end up at the White House. It's been a pretty good year," Rivers said. "Now it means that we have to win another on."

If the Celtics hold onto their title next year, Bush said he'd be happy to celebrate with them again.

"Should you win it, you can find me in Texas," he said.

(Amanda Peterson writes for Scripps Howard News Service at wwwshns.com.)