LeBron James presents a Miami Heat jersey to Barack Obama, the nation's 44th president, on Monday as the NBA champions visited the White House.
 

President Obama honored the Heat, who won the 2012 title after losing in the 2011 NBA Finals. ''Everybody doing their part is what finally put the Heat over the top,'' he said.
 

Dwyane Wade presents a Miami Heat jersey to President Obama. Now the Heat will try to do what Obama did: repeat.
 

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the team hopefully will serve as an inspiration to the nation of what can be done ''when you come together and sacrifice your egos for a greater goal'' and have a ''hard-hat work ethic.''

President Obama greets Heat guard Ray Allen, who was not on Miami's championship team last season but won a title with Boston in 2008.
 

President Obama accepts a signed basketball from Miami Heat forward LeBron James.
 

Actress Gabrielle Union, center, poses for a photograph with Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., right, and Rep. Deborah Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., as they wait for President Obama to welcome the Heat. Union is the girlfriend of Heat star Dwyane Wade.
 

President Obama said one of the things he's proudest of is that many of the team members — including LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade — ''take their roles as fathers seriously.''

''For all the young men out there who are looking up to them all the time, for them to see somebody who cares about their kids and is there for them day in and day out, that's a good message to send,'' Obama said.

LeBron James said it was a proud day for everyone on the team. ''We're in the White House right now, which is like, like 'Mama, I made it,' " James said, as the audience laughed and cheered.