Bush honors NBA champion Boston Celtics at White House

WASHINGTON – President George W. Bush has welcomed the Boston Celtics to the White House to celebrate the team's 17th NBA championship, declaring "Celtic pride is back." Bush saluted Celtics' captain Paul Pierce, who led the team to a title and was MVP of the finals despite suffering a knee injury early in the series. During an East Room ceremony Bush said that "playing hurt in a championship game is the ultimate sign of leadership." The team's players, owners and coaches presented the president with a green Celtics jersey emblazoned with "43," a nod to Bush's standing as the 43rd president, and an autographed basketball. The team also said it would send a $100,000 check to the Red Cross to help victims of Hurricane Ike. – AP