WASHINGTON (AP) -- You learn a lot about people when they're down, President Barack Obama declared Thursday, and he wasn't talking about an election. Obama saluted the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers for rallying from behind to defeat the Golden State Warriors and end a Cleveland pro sports title drought stretching back to 1964.
Obama honored the Cavs on the South Lawn of the White House, squeezing in another sports champion before he leaves office. He opened by saying, "That's right. I said world champion and Cleveland in the same sentence."
The Cavs came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the championship against a Warriors team that set an NBA record for wins during the regular season.
"The first team in history to dig themselves out of a hole like that," Obama said. "The comeback was remarkable, and you learn about people when they're down."
That comment came shortly after Obama met with Donald Trump, who won the White House race to succeed him after a campaign in which the president declared the businessman unfit.
Obama singled out several players for praise, but particularly focused on LeBron James, who won the Most Valuable Player award during the championship series. Obama called James one of the greatest players of all time and said it's not just power and speed that make James great, but his unselfishness and work ethic. "You saw it in those last three games," the president said.
