Bill Clinton: “Good evening and welcome to the White House, and where appropriate, happy Father's Day. I'm glad all of you could be…”

“Good evening and welcome to the White House, and where appropriate, happy Father's Day. I'm glad all of you could be here with us tonight to celebrate the tradition of sport in American life. Hillary and I are delighted to be the honorary cochairs of the first annual National Sports Awards and to pay tribute to those outstanding Americans rightly called ``the great ones.'' Frankly, I'm thrilled to meet these heroes of sport. And I have to say that of all the perks that have come along with being President of the United States, the best one was being able to play 18 holes of golf with Arnold Palmer this morning. Even if it turned out to be all downhill from here, I could still be on a high. I might say, I'm glad I didn't have to play one on one with Kareem or go 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali to justify the round of golf. [Laughter] It's been said that the athlete does not embark upon a sport but upon a way of life. Tonight we honor five individuals not simply for their athletic superiority but for the special qualities of character and leadership that have earned them the respect and the admiration of our Nation. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led every team he ever played for to championships. From Power Memorial High School to UCLA, to the Milwaukee Bucks, to the LA Lakers, he dominated the court for the entire 20 years in the NBA that he played. And he's hailed by many fans and players alike as the greatest center ever to play the game.…”