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Spoelstra Takes Congratulatory Call From President Obama

MIAMI (CBS4/AP) — A basketball fan himself, President Barack Obama has called the Miami Heat head coach to congratulate the team on its second NBA championship.

Obama made the call from Air Force One while traveling in Florida for campaign events. The White House says the president complimented coach Erik Spoelstra on the performance of the players and coaches and said the team seemed to get stronger as the playoffs wore on.

The Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night to win the best of seven series.

Obama says he looks forward to celebrating with the Heat during the traditional visit by championship-winning teams to the White House.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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