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            <title>Remarks Honoring the NCAA Men's Basketball Champion Duke University Blue Devils
               September 8, 2015</title>
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            <p>Publication Information</p>
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         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <p>Welcome to the White House, everybody. Hope you all had a good Labor Day. Let's give
               it up for the National Champion, Duke Blue Devils! We thought about inviting the
               Cameron Crazies here, but I didn't want any blue paint smudging my walls, so—
               [laughter]—we weren't sure if the risers could take it if they were jumping up and
               down. So you'll just have to shout and scream from your seats.<note>As my hardcore
                  Duke fans know, the Cameron Crazies are fans located in the student section at
                  Duke basketball games. The name Cameron derives from Duke's baseketball arena,
                  which is named Cameron Indoor Stadium. These fans are unbelievably passionate
                  about Duke basketball, so they often paint their bodies blue. Additionally, these
                  fans also jump up and down in unison yelling especially during crucial points of a
                  game. Duke has been labeled as one of the toughest environments for an opposing
                  team to play in. "Rock concert or airplane takeoff levels of sound have been
                  reached at Cameron as a decibel level of 116 dB was measured during a game against
                  Wake Forest in 2002. At 120 dB, sound begins to cause pain.</note></p>
            <p>We've got some big Duke fans here today, including some Members of Congress, our
               Transportation Secretary, a native of North Carolina, Anthony Foxx. I'd like to
               recognize the Chairman of Duke's Board of Trustees, David Rubenstein, who's here.
               Duke President Richard Brodhead is here. Athletic Director Kevin White is here. And
               an up-and-coming coach named Mike Krzyzewski. [Applause] Hey!<note>Obama is a pretty
                  funny guy, so he uses humor throughout this speech. Krzyzewski is the farthest
                  thing from an up-and-coming coach. Coach K has been coaching at Duke since 1980,
                  and he has one hell of a coaching resume. He was inducted into the basketball hall
                  of fame in 2001, and he has led the Blue Devils to five national
                  championships.</note></p>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Audience members.</speaker>
            <l>Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <p>[Laughter] We think he has a lot of potential. [Laughter] Although, he does look the
               same. Have you noticed? There's like that Dorian Gray mirror thing going on
               somewhere. <note>Once again, Obama is trying to be funny by using a literary
                  reference. He pokes fun at Coach K by saying even though he might be getting up
                  there in age, he still looks the same. My nonbasketball people might realize the
                  Dorian gray reference and think it wasnt a mirror but a painting. Maybe add
                  something about the video and how nobody laughed at this joke.</note></p>

            <p>True to Coach K's Army roots, we've also got Secretary of the Army, John McHugh is
               here. Where's John? Right here. And our new Chief of Staff of the Army, General Mark
               Milley, is here as well.</p>

            <p>So it's good to see the Blue Devils again. This is the second time that I've hosted
               them here at the White House. <note>The Blue Devils won an NCAA title in 2010, their
                  first visit to the White House.</note> It is. [Applause] And my old body man,
               Reggie Love, played for Coach K, helped me win a lot of pickup games. [Laughter] And
               then there's Derek Rhodes. Where's Derek? Derek was an intern here last summer before
               being head manager for the championship run. So a little White House magic rubbed off
               on this team. I'm just saying.</p>

            <p>And I can relate to this program. Does well in the classroom. Won twice in the past 4
               years. [Laughter] Know what it's like for people to oppose you no matter what you try
               to do.<note>Referring to his job as President. No matter what he does there will
                  always be someone who is unhappy. With regards to Duke University and its
                  basketball program, they too are hated for many reasons. First, they have an
                  incredible program, which means that the top recruits are attracted to playing
                  there. Another reason could be the Cameron Crazies. As stated earlier, the fans of
                  Duke basektball are beyond raucous.</note> [Laughter] I mean, when I flip on ESPN
               and I see a documentary about how people still "hate" Christian Laettner—[laughter]—a
               guy who played for Duke 23 years ago, I realize, well, maybe I don't have it so bad.
               Or I think this is going to be a long 23 years. [Laughter]<note>Referring back to the
                  reasons why many people hate Duke, the former players certainly have something to
                  do with that as well. Christian Laetter, arguably one of the greatest collegiate
                  basketball players of all time attended Duke. He was an unbelievable talent, but
                  did some questionable things while playing. Most notably, he stepped on a player's
                  chest while he was on the ground and not receive any suspenion for doing it.
                  During Laettner's tenure with Duke, he was always seen as the villian. Even though
                  Laettner's departure from Duke was decades ago, this view still holds true for
                  some of the current players at Duke.</note></p>

            <p>But here's the thing. If folks didn't like this year's Blue Devils, they were just
               being haters because—or they lived in Chapel Hill.<note>Obama points out Duke's
                  archnemesis, the North Carolina Tar Heels located in Chapel Hill. As my hardcore
                  Duke fans know, the rival between UNC and Duke is one that is rich in tradition
                  making it a rivalry like none other.</note> That's a possibility as well. Because
               these guys were fun. They ran off 14 straight wins to start the season. But by
               tournament time, they were down to just eight scholarship players: four freshmen and
               one senior.<note/></p>

            <p>They had a soft-spoken All-American in the middle, <hi>Jahlil Okafor</hi><note>In the title
                  game, Okafor grabbed 3 rebounds and had 10 points.</note>—from the Chicago area, I
               might just add—[laughter]—whose size and footwork bent defenses in a way that people
               hadn't seen in a very long time. There was the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player,
               Tyus Jones<note>Jones finished the game with 23 points propelling the Devils to their
                  fifth title.</note>—or "Tyus Stones"—because of all the shots he made. [Laughter]
               There was freshmen Justise Winslow<note>11 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks.</note>
               flying all over the place—[laughter]—dominating some of the games in the tournament.
               senior Quinn Cook <note>Although Quinn only finished with 3 points,the intangible
                  things he does on the court are just as vital for the team to generate
                  wins.</note> provided senior leadership, setting a school all-time
               assist-to-turnover record. And then, there was Grayson Allen <note>At the time,
                  Grayson was very inexperienced because he was just a freshman. Despite this,
                  Grayson put on a dazzling performance finishing the game with 16 points.</note>,
               who just went crazy—[laughter]—who <fw>1</fw><pb/>clearly didn't know any better and
               just said, well, I'm going to score eight straight points at the end of a game.</p>

            <p>And in that championship game against Wisconsin <note>Duke's opponent, the Wisconsin
                  Badgers.</note>, the four freshmen scored every point in the second half. The Blue
               Devils shut down the most efficient offense in the country when they needed to. And
               that lockdown defense—which, let's face it, had not been evident in every game during
               the season—[laughter]—was the key to Duke's fifth title run.</p>

            <p>And Coach K described this year's championship as "the best moment of his coaching
               career." And with five career championships, second to only to the legendary John
                  Wooden<note>Coached UCLA from 1948 to 1975. He is one of the most decorated
                  coaches in the history of the game because he led UCLA to a total of 10 national
                  championships.</note>, that's saying something. Last season, Coach K became the
               first Division I men's college coach to win 1,000 games. And somehow he did it
               without ever saying a bad word to a referee. [Laughter]</p>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Head Coach Michael W. Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <l>That's true. That's true. Only what they deserved. [Laughter]</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>Only what they deserved, he said. [Laughter] That's what I say about some of my
               opponents. [Laughter]</l>
            <p>But everybody knows this program is not just about winning on the hardwood. Five
               players made the all-conference academic squad this year—Tyus, Justise, Grayson,
               Amile Jefferson, and Marshall Plumlee.<note>Demonstrates the culture at Duke isn't
                  one that is soley defined by its basketball program but rather an institution with
                  great academics as well. Many of the players on the roster were at the forefront
                  of this exemplifing the importance of what it means to be a student
                  athlete.</note> That is worth applause. Marshall also spent much of this summer in
               leadership training at Fort Knox as he works to become a commissioned officer in the
               U.S. Army. So—[applause]. I was saying to Marshall, though, I feel bad for his
               parents trying to pay those grocery bills. When you've got, like, three folks 7 feet,
               you know they're eating a lot. [Laughter] That's a big grocery bill.</p>

            <p>This team also visited Durham elementary schools for the "Read With the Blue Devils"
               campaign. Coach K authored an op-ed on the importance of early childhood education.
               Players volunteered as mentors at the Emily Krzyzewski Center, which is named for the
               Coach's mother and aims to break the cycle of poverty through out-of-school programs
               that help young people reach college.<note>Further shows anyone not familiar with
                  Duke that they lead by setting examples and that they are bigger than
                  basketball.</note></p>

            <p>So this is the kind of program that we hope for at any institution of higher
               learning. They represent their university well on and off the court. And that's why
               their fans are so passionate. That's why sometimes there are going to be some haters.
               [Laughter] But they deserve every accolade. They've got a great leader in Coach K,
               and it's an outstanding university, an outstanding program, and they deserve our
               hearty congratulations. Very proud of you guys.</p>

            <l>Thank you. Good. Coach.</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Coach Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <l>Thank you. Mr. President, thanks for opening up your home. [Laughter] We've been to
               your house twice, and you've never been to our house. [Laughter]</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>We'll have to correct that.</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Coach Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <l>We have to correct that in about a little over a year.</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>A little over a year.</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Coach Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <l>And we hope to do that. By the way, the guys already ultimately respect you, but
               seeing you perform here, once your term is over, "Saturday Night Live" should have a
               permanent host, I think. [Laughter]</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>Comedian in Chief, I could do a good job.</l>
            <fw>2</fw>
            <pb/>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Coach Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <p>It would be great. The cool thing about our group was that they were fun. And even
               the energy that—when I walk into a room, I always—like, is it a locker room that
               needs to be picked up? Or are you already picked up? <note>Coach K is referring to
                  the strength of his team's bond during their time together.</note>And you guys are
               already up. [Laughter] And—but that's what these guys did for me and my staff the
               entire year. And I just want to tell them publicly that we love them, and it was
               amazing. And thanks for sharing that year with me. And the guys coming back, if you
               could do that again, I wouldn't mind. [Laughter]</p>

            <p>We have loved being here. Last night, David Rubenstein made it available for us to
               have a dinner at the National Archives, so it was an unbelievable night. And in front
               of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence, our
               guys were awarded their championship rings last night.</p>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>That's great.</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Coach Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <l>So that was a cool night. They're pretty big, by the way.</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>They are. [Laughter] Show it again.</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Coach Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <l>I'm from Chicago. A little bit of bling is not—[laughter]—it's not bad.</l>

            <p>But the last 24 hours to be in front of—in that great building, in front of those
               documents and realizing the great men that started this country, but also then to
               come here and be in your house. And on behalf of our Duke community, we want to thank
               you for serving our country over these last two terms. You've been an amazing leader
               for our country. And it's not just you, but your family and the sacrifices. So thank
               you very much for your service. [Applause]</p>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>Thank you.</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Coach Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <p>When we visit—and you won't have to do this when you visit our house—but usually,
               when you visit someone's house, you bring a gift. So we brought a few gifts. And I
               want to explain them and then going to have Amile and Quinn, our cocaptains, give
               them. But we have a jersey.</p>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>I need a jersey.</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Coach Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <l>We have a ball, all right.</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>You've got a ball. I need a ball.</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Coach Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <l>And we have—I know you—</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>My bracket again? [Laughter]</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Coach Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <l>No, no. We-[laughter].</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>He did this to me last time.</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Coach Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <l>No, no. But any time you take a test and you put your answers there, you should
               always want the approved solution. [Laughter] So that-</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>This is the second time. [Laughter]</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Coach Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <p>But the other thing is not material, it's—I know you can't do it while you're
               President. But after you're through, we would like to scholarship you to our fantasy
               camp. [Laughter] We run a fantasy camp.</p>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>Oh, excellent. Yes. [Laughter]</l>
            <fw>3</fw>
            <pb/>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Coach Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <l>Reggie said you can play and little-pound the ball a little bit, is what he said.</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>Let's do it. [Laughter]</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Coach Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <l>But for 35-but for guys 35 and older.</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>Yes. I'll dominate. [Laughter]</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Coach Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <l>He's not unlike the other 80 guys who come-[laughter]-and then, they find out the
               truth. [Laughter] But anyway, you have a scholarship.</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>Thank you. I'm honored. Thank you.</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>Coach Krzyzewski.</speaker>
            <p>Yes. But again, thank you for inviting us for this very, very special day. And if
               Quinn and Amile—will you guys come down? If you guys would come in and present that.
               You can leave the bracket. That was a joke.</p>
            <l>[At this point, guard Quinn Cook and forward Amile Jefferson presented the gifts to
               the President.]</l>
         </sp>
         <sp>
            <speaker>The President.</speaker>
            <l>Thanks you so much. Fantastic. Thank you. Let's strike the podium, and we'll get good
               pictures in. Come on, guys.</l>
         </sp>

         <p>Note: The President spoke at 11:56 a.m. in the East Room at the White House. In his
            remarks, he referred to former Personal Aide to the President Reginald L. Love; Tyus
            Jones and Grayson Allen, guards, Justise Winslow, forward, and Marshall Plumlee, center,
            Duke University men's basketball team; and Perky and Leslie Plumlee, parents, and Miles
            and Mason Plumlee, brothers, of Mr. Plumlee.</p>

         <l>Categories: Addresses and Remarks : NCAA men's basketball champion Duke University.</l>
         <l>Locations: Washington, DC.</l>
         <p>Names: Allen, Grayson; Brodhead, Richard H., Cook, Quinn; Foxx, Anthony R.; Jefferson,
            Amile; Jones, Tyus; Krzyzewski, Michael W.; Laettner, Christian D.; Love, Reginald L.;
            McHugh John M.; Milley, Mark A.; Okafor, Jahlil; Plumlee, Leslie; Plumlee, Marshall;
            Plumlee, Mason; Plumlee, Miles; Plumlee, Perky; Rhodes, Derek; Rubenstein, David M.;
            White, Kevin M.; Winslow, Justice.</p>
         <p>Subjects: Army, Department of the : Chief of Staff; Army, Department of the : Secretary;
            Economy, national : Poverty :: Efforts to combat; Education : Early childhood education
            programs; Education : Postsecondary education :: College opportunity, expansion efforts;
            Holidays and special observances : Labor Day; Sports : Basketball; Sports : NCAA
            championship teams; Transportation, Department of the : Secretary; Voluntarism.</p>
         <l>DCPD Number: DCPD201500602</l>
         <fw>4</fw>
         <pb/>



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Remarks Honoring the NCAA Men's Basketball Champion Duke University Blue Devils September 8, 2015

Publication Information

Information about the source

 The President.

Welcome to the White House, everybody. Hope you all had a good Labor Day. Let's give it up for the National Champion, Duke Blue Devils! We thought about inviting the Cameron Crazies here, but I didn't want any blue paint smudging my walls, so— [laughter]—we weren't sure if the risers could take it if they were jumping up and down. So you'll just have to shout and scream from your seats.01 As my hardcore Duke fans know, the Cameron Crazies are fans located in the student section at Duke basketball games. The name Cameron derives from Duke's baseketball arena, which is named Cameron Indoor Stadium. These fans are unbelievably passionate about Duke basketball, so they often paint their bodies blue. Additionally, these fans also jump up and down in unison yelling especially during crucial points of a game. Duke has been labeled as one of the toughest environments for an opposing team to play in. "Rock concert or airplane takeoff levels of sound have been reached at Cameron as a decibel level of 116 dB was measured during a game against Wake Forest in 2002. At 120 dB, sound begins to cause pain.

We've got some big Duke fans here today, including some Members of Congress, our Transportation Secretary, a native of North Carolina, Anthony Foxx. I'd like to recognize the Chairman of Duke's Board of Trustees, David Rubenstein, who's here. Duke President Richard Brodhead is here. Athletic Director Kevin White is here. And an up-and-coming coach named Mike Krzyzewski. [Applause] Hey!02 Obama is a pretty funny guy, so he uses humor throughout this speech. Krzyzewski is the farthest thing from an up-and-coming coach. Coach K has been coaching at Duke since 1980, and he has one hell of a coaching resume. He was inducted into the basketball hall of fame in 2001, and he has led the Blue Devils to five national championships.

Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years! The President.

[Laughter] We think he has a lot of potential. [Laughter] Although, he does look the same. Have you noticed? There's like that Dorian Gray mirror thing going on somewhere. 03 Once again, Obama is trying to be funny by using a literary reference. He pokes fun at Coach K by saying even though he might be getting up there in age, he still looks the same. My nonbasketball people might realize the Dorian gray reference and think it wasnt a mirror but a painting. Maybe add something about the video and how nobody laughed at this joke.

True to Coach K's Army roots, we've also got Secretary of the Army, John McHugh is here. Where's John? Right here. And our new Chief of Staff of the Army, General Mark Milley, is here as well.

So it's good to see the Blue Devils again. This is the second time that I've hosted them here at the White House. 04 The Blue Devils won an NCAA title in 2010, their first visit to the White House. It is. [Applause] And my old body man, Reggie Love, played for Coach K, helped me win a lot of pickup games. [Laughter] And then there's Derek Rhodes. Where's Derek? Derek was an intern here last summer before being head manager for the championship run. So a little White House magic rubbed off on this team. I'm just saying.

And I can relate to this program. Does well in the classroom. Won twice in the past 4 years. [Laughter] Know what it's like for people to oppose you no matter what you try to do.05 Referring to his job as President. No matter what he does there will always be someone who is unhappy. With regards to Duke University and its basketball program, they too are hated for many reasons. First, they have an incredible program, which means that the top recruits are attracted to playing there. Another reason could be the Cameron Crazies. As stated earlier, the fans of Duke basektball are beyond raucous. [Laughter] I mean, when I flip on ESPN and I see a documentary about how people still "hate" Christian Laettner—[laughter]—a guy who played for Duke 23 years ago, I realize, well, maybe I don't have it so bad. Or I think this is going to be a long 23 years. [Laughter]06 Referring back to the reasons why many people hate Duke, the former players certainly have something to do with that as well. Christian Laetter, arguably one of the greatest collegiate basketball players of all time attended Duke. He was an unbelievable talent, but did some questionable things while playing. Most notably, he stepped on a player's chest while he was on the ground and not receive any suspenion for doing it. During Laettner's tenure with Duke, he was always seen as the villian. Even though Laettner's departure from Duke was decades ago, this view still holds true for some of the current players at Duke.

But here's the thing. If folks didn't like this year's Blue Devils, they were just being haters because—or they lived in Chapel Hill.07 Obama points out Duke's archnemesis, the North Carolina Tar Heels located in Chapel Hill. As my hardcore Duke fans know, the rival between UNC and Duke is one that is rich in tradition making it a rivalry like none other. That's a possibility as well. Because these guys were fun. They ran off 14 straight wins to start the season. But by tournament time, they were down to just eight scholarship players: four freshmen and one senior.08

They had a soft-spoken All-American in the middle, Jahlil Okafor09 In the title game, Okafor grabbed 3 rebounds and had 10 points.—from the Chicago area, I might just add—[laughter]—whose size and footwork bent defenses in a way that people hadn't seen in a very long time. There was the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, Tyus Jones10 Jones finished the game with 23 points propelling the Devils to their fifth title.—or "Tyus Stones"—because of all the shots he made. [Laughter] There was freshmen Justise Winslow11 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks. flying all over the place—[laughter]—dominating some of the games in the tournament. senior Quinn Cook 12 Although Quinn only finished with 3 points,the intangible things he does on the court are just as vital for the team to generate wins. provided senior leadership, setting a school all-time assist-to-turnover record. And then, there was Grayson Allen 13 At the time, Grayson was very inexperienced because he was just a freshman. Despite this, Grayson put on a dazzling performance finishing the game with 16 points., who just went crazy—[laughter]—who 1 clearly didn't know any better and just said, well, I'm going to score eight straight points at the end of a game.

And in that championship game against Wisconsin 14 Duke's opponent, the Wisconsin Badgers., the four freshmen scored every point in the second half. The Blue Devils shut down the most efficient offense in the country when they needed to. And that lockdown defense—which, let's face it, had not been evident in every game during the season—[laughter]—was the key to Duke's fifth title run.

And Coach K described this year's championship as "the best moment of his coaching career." And with five career championships, second to only to the legendary John Wooden15 Coached UCLA from 1948 to 1975. He is one of the most decorated coaches in the history of the game because he led UCLA to a total of 10 national championships., that's saying something. Last season, Coach K became the first Division I men's college coach to win 1,000 games. And somehow he did it without ever saying a bad word to a referee. [Laughter]

 Head Coach Michael W. Krzyzewski. That's true. That's true. Only what they deserved. [Laughter] The President. Only what they deserved, he said. [Laughter] That's what I say about some of my opponents. [Laughter]

But everybody knows this program is not just about winning on the hardwood. Five players made the all-conference academic squad this year—Tyus, Justise, Grayson, Amile Jefferson, and Marshall Plumlee.16 Demonstrates the culture at Duke isn't one that is soley defined by its basketball program but rather an institution with great academics as well. Many of the players on the roster were at the forefront of this exemplifing the importance of what it means to be a student athlete. That is worth applause. Marshall also spent much of this summer in leadership training at Fort Knox as he works to become a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. So—[applause]. I was saying to Marshall, though, I feel bad for his parents trying to pay those grocery bills. When you've got, like, three folks 7 feet, you know they're eating a lot. [Laughter] That's a big grocery bill.

This team also visited Durham elementary schools for the "Read With the Blue Devils" campaign. Coach K authored an op-ed on the importance of early childhood education. Players volunteered as mentors at the Emily Krzyzewski Center, which is named for the Coach's mother and aims to break the cycle of poverty through out-of-school programs that help young people reach college.17 Further shows anyone not familiar with Duke that they lead by setting examples and that they are bigger than basketball.

So this is the kind of program that we hope for at any institution of higher learning. They represent their university well on and off the court. And that's why their fans are so passionate. That's why sometimes there are going to be some haters. [Laughter] But they deserve every accolade. They've got a great leader in Coach K, and it's an outstanding university, an outstanding program, and they deserve our hearty congratulations. Very proud of you guys.

Thank you. Good. Coach. Coach Krzyzewski. Thank you. Mr. President, thanks for opening up your home. [Laughter] We've been to your house twice, and you've never been to our house. [Laughter] The President. We'll have to correct that. Coach Krzyzewski. We have to correct that in about a little over a year. The President. A little over a year. Coach Krzyzewski. And we hope to do that. By the way, the guys already ultimately respect you, but seeing you perform here, once your term is over, "Saturday Night Live" should have a permanent host, I think. [Laughter] The President. Comedian in Chief, I could do a good job. 2 Coach Krzyzewski.

It would be great. The cool thing about our group was that they were fun. And even the energy that—when I walk into a room, I always—like, is it a locker room that needs to be picked up? Or are you already picked up? 18 Coach K is referring to the strength of his team's bond during their time together.And you guys are already up. [Laughter] And—but that's what these guys did for me and my staff the entire year. And I just want to tell them publicly that we love them, and it was amazing. And thanks for sharing that year with me. And the guys coming back, if you could do that again, I wouldn't mind. [Laughter]

We have loved being here. Last night, David Rubenstein made it available for us to have a dinner at the National Archives, so it was an unbelievable night. And in front of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence, our guys were awarded their championship rings last night.

 The President. That's great. Coach Krzyzewski. So that was a cool night. They're pretty big, by the way. The President. They are. [Laughter] Show it again. Coach Krzyzewski. I'm from Chicago. A little bit of bling is not—[laughter]—it's not bad.

But the last 24 hours to be in front of—in that great building, in front of those documents and realizing the great men that started this country, but also then to come here and be in your house. And on behalf of our Duke community, we want to thank you for serving our country over these last two terms. You've been an amazing leader for our country. And it's not just you, but your family and the sacrifices. So thank you very much for your service. [Applause]

 The President. Thank you. Coach Krzyzewski.

When we visit—and you won't have to do this when you visit our house—but usually, when you visit someone's house, you bring a gift. So we brought a few gifts. And I want to explain them and then going to have Amile and Quinn, our cocaptains, give them. But we have a jersey.

 The President. I need a jersey. Coach Krzyzewski. We have a ball, all right. The President. You've got a ball. I need a ball. Coach Krzyzewski. And we have—I know you— The President. My bracket again? [Laughter] Coach Krzyzewski. No, no. We-[laughter]. The President. He did this to me last time. Coach Krzyzewski. No, no. But any time you take a test and you put your answers there, you should always want the approved solution. [Laughter] So that- The President. This is the second time. [Laughter] Coach Krzyzewski.

But the other thing is not material, it's—I know you can't do it while you're President. But after you're through, we would like to scholarship you to our fantasy camp. [Laughter] We run a fantasy camp.

 The President. Oh, excellent. Yes. [Laughter] 3 Coach Krzyzewski. Reggie said you can play and little-pound the ball a little bit, is what he said. The President. Let's do it. [Laughter] Coach Krzyzewski. But for 35-but for guys 35 and older. The President. Yes. I'll dominate. [Laughter] Coach Krzyzewski. He's not unlike the other 80 guys who come-[laughter]-and then, they find out the truth. [Laughter] But anyway, you have a scholarship. The President. Thank you. I'm honored. Thank you. Coach Krzyzewski.

Yes. But again, thank you for inviting us for this very, very special day. And if Quinn and Amile—will you guys come down? If you guys would come in and present that. You can leave the bracket. That was a joke.

[At this point, guard Quinn Cook and forward Amile Jefferson presented the gifts to the President.] The President. Thanks you so much. Fantastic. Thank you. Let's strike the podium, and we'll get good pictures in. Come on, guys.

Note: The President spoke at 11:56 a.m. in the East Room at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to former Personal Aide to the President Reginald L. Love; Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen, guards, Justise Winslow, forward, and Marshall Plumlee, center, Duke University men's basketball team; and Perky and Leslie Plumlee, parents, and Miles and Mason Plumlee, brothers, of Mr. Plumlee.

Categories: Addresses and Remarks : NCAA men's basketball champion Duke University. Locations: Washington, DC.

Names: Allen, Grayson; Brodhead, Richard H., Cook, Quinn; Foxx, Anthony R.; Jefferson, Amile; Jones, Tyus; Krzyzewski, Michael W.; Laettner, Christian D.; Love, Reginald L.; McHugh John M.; Milley, Mark A.; Okafor, Jahlil; Plumlee, Leslie; Plumlee, Marshall; Plumlee, Mason; Plumlee, Miles; Plumlee, Perky; Rhodes, Derek; Rubenstein, David M.; White, Kevin M.; Winslow, Justice.

Subjects: Army, Department of the : Chief of Staff; Army, Department of the : Secretary; Economy, national : Poverty :: Efforts to combat; Education : Early childhood education programs; Education : Postsecondary education :: College opportunity, expansion efforts; Holidays and special observances : Labor Day; Sports : Basketball; Sports : NCAA championship teams; Transportation, Department of the : Secretary; Voluntarism.

DCPD Number: DCPD201500602 4

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Remarks Honoring the NCAA Men's Basketball Champion Duke University Blue Devils September 8, 2015

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 The President.

Welcome to the White House, everybody. Hope you all had a good Labor Day. Let's give it up for the National Champion, Duke Blue Devils! We thought about inviting the Cameron Crazies here, but I didn't want any blue paint smudging my walls, so— [laughter]—we weren't sure if the risers could take it if they were jumping up and down. So you'll just have to shout and scream from your seats.As my hardcore Duke fans know, the Cameron Crazies are fans located in the student section at Duke basketball games. The name Cameron derives from Duke's baseketball arena, which is named Cameron Indoor Stadium. These fans are unbelievably passionate about Duke basketball, so they often paint their bodies blue. Additionally, these fans also jump up and down in unison yelling especially during crucial points of a game. Duke has been labeled as one of the toughest environments for an opposing team to play in. "Rock concert or airplane takeoff levels of sound have been reached at Cameron as a decibel level of 116 dB was measured during a game against Wake Forest in 2002. At 120 dB, sound begins to cause pain.

We've got some big Duke fans here today, including some Members of Congress, our Transportation Secretary, a native of North Carolina, Anthony Foxx. I'd like to recognize the Chairman of Duke's Board of Trustees, David Rubenstein, who's here. Duke President Richard Brodhead is here. Athletic Director Kevin White is here. And an up-and-coming coach named Mike Krzyzewski. [Applause] Hey!Obama is a pretty funny guy, so he uses humor throughout this speech. Krzyzewski is the farthest thing from an up-and-coming coach. Coach K has been coaching at Duke since 1980, and he has one hell of a coaching resume. He was inducted into the basketball hall of fame in 2001, and he has led the Blue Devils to five national championships.

Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years! The President.

[Laughter] We think he has a lot of potential. [Laughter] Although, he does look the same. Have you noticed? There's like that Dorian Gray mirror thing going on somewhere. Once again, Obama is trying to be funny by using a literary reference. He pokes fun at Coach K by saying even though he might be getting up there in age, he still looks the same. My nonbasketball people might realize the Dorian gray reference and think it wasnt a mirror but a painting. Maybe add something about the video and how nobody laughed at this joke.

True to Coach K's Army roots, we've also got Secretary of the Army, John McHugh is here. Where's John? Right here. And our new Chief of Staff of the Army, General Mark Milley, is here as well.

So it's good to see the Blue Devils again. This is the second time that I've hosted them here at the White House. The Blue Devils won an NCAA title in 2010, their first visit to the White House. It is. [Applause] And my old body man, Reggie Love, played for Coach K, helped me win a lot of pickup games. [Laughter] And then there's Derek Rhodes. Where's Derek? Derek was an intern here last summer before being head manager for the championship run. So a little White House magic rubbed off on this team. I'm just saying.

And I can relate to this program. Does well in the classroom. Won twice in the past 4 years. [Laughter] Know what it's like for people to oppose you no matter what you try to do.Referring to his job as President. No matter what he does there will always be someone who is unhappy. With regards to Duke University and its basketball program, they too are hated for many reasons. First, they have an incredible program, which means that the top recruits are attracted to playing there. Another reason could be the Cameron Crazies. As stated earlier, the fans of Duke basektball are beyond raucous. [Laughter] I mean, when I flip on ESPN and I see a documentary about how people still "hate" Christian Laettner—[laughter]—a guy who played for Duke 23 years ago, I realize, well, maybe I don't have it so bad. Or I think this is going to be a long 23 years. [Laughter]Referring back to the reasons why many people hate Duke, the former players certainly have something to do with that as well. Christian Laetter, arguably one of the greatest collegiate basketball players of all time attended Duke. He was an unbelievable talent, but did some questionable things while playing. Most notably, he stepped on a player's chest while he was on the ground and not receive any suspenion for doing it. During Laettner's tenure with Duke, he was always seen as the villian. Even though Laettner's departure from Duke was decades ago, this view still holds true for some of the current players at Duke.

But here's the thing. If folks didn't like this year's Blue Devils, they were just being haters because—or they lived in Chapel Hill.Obama points out Duke's archnemesis, the North Carolina Tar Heels located in Chapel Hill. As my hardcore Duke fans know, the rival between UNC and Duke is one that is rich in tradition making it a rivalry like none other. That's a possibility as well. Because these guys were fun. They ran off 14 straight wins to start the season. But by tournament time, they were down to just eight scholarship players: four freshmen and one senior.

They had a soft-spoken All-American in the middle, Jahlil Okafor In the title game, Okafor grabbed 3 rebounds and had 10 points.—from the Chicago area, I might just add—[laughter]—whose size and footwork bent defenses in a way that people hadn't seen in a very long time. There was the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, Tyus JonesJones finished the game with 23 points propelling the Devils to their fifth title.—or "Tyus Stones"—because of all the shots he made. [Laughter] There was freshmen Justise Winslow11 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks. flying all over the place—[laughter]—dominating some of the games in the tournament. senior Quinn Cook Although Quinn only finished with 3 points,the intangible things he does on the court are just as vital for the team to generate wins. provided senior leadership, setting a school all-time assist-to-turnover record. And then, there was Grayson Allen At the time, Grayson was very inexperienced because he was just a freshman. Despite this, Grayson put on a dazzling performance finishing the game with 16 points., who just went crazy—[laughter]—who 1 clearly didn't know any better and just said, well, I'm going to score eight straight points at the end of a game.

And in that championship game against Wisconsin Duke's opponent, the Wisconsin Badgers., the four freshmen scored every point in the second half. The Blue Devils shut down the most efficient offense in the country when they needed to. And that lockdown defense—which, let's face it, had not been evident in every game during the season—[laughter]—was the key to Duke's fifth title run.

And Coach K described this year's championship as "the best moment of his coaching career." And with five career championships, second to only to the legendary John WoodenCoached UCLA from 1948 to 1975. He is one of the most decorated coaches in the history of the game because he led UCLA to a total of 10 national championships., that's saying something. Last season, Coach K became the first Division I men's college coach to win 1,000 games. And somehow he did it without ever saying a bad word to a referee. [Laughter]

 Head Coach Michael W. Krzyzewski. That's true. That's true. Only what they deserved. [Laughter] The President. Only what they deserved, he said. [Laughter] That's what I say about some of my opponents. [Laughter]

But everybody knows this program is not just about winning on the hardwood. Five players made the all-conference academic squad this year—Tyus, Justise, Grayson, Amile Jefferson, and Marshall Plumlee.Demonstrates the culture at Duke isn't one that is soley defined by its basketball program but rather an institution with great academics as well. Many of the players on the roster were at the forefront of this exemplifing the importance of what it means to be a student athlete. That is worth applause. Marshall also spent much of this summer in leadership training at Fort Knox as he works to become a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. So—[applause]. I was saying to Marshall, though, I feel bad for his parents trying to pay those grocery bills. When you've got, like, three folks 7 feet, you know they're eating a lot. [Laughter] That's a big grocery bill.

This team also visited Durham elementary schools for the "Read With the Blue Devils" campaign. Coach K authored an op-ed on the importance of early childhood education. Players volunteered as mentors at the Emily Krzyzewski Center, which is named for the Coach's mother and aims to break the cycle of poverty through out-of-school programs that help young people reach college.Further shows anyone not familiar with Duke that they lead by setting examples and that they are bigger than basketball.

So this is the kind of program that we hope for at any institution of higher learning. They represent their university well on and off the court. And that's why their fans are so passionate. That's why sometimes there are going to be some haters. [Laughter] But they deserve every accolade. They've got a great leader in Coach K, and it's an outstanding university, an outstanding program, and they deserve our hearty congratulations. Very proud of you guys.

Thank you. Good. Coach. Coach Krzyzewski. Thank you. Mr. President, thanks for opening up your home. [Laughter] We've been to your house twice, and you've never been to our house. [Laughter] The President. We'll have to correct that. Coach Krzyzewski. We have to correct that in about a little over a year. The President. A little over a year. Coach Krzyzewski. And we hope to do that. By the way, the guys already ultimately respect you, but seeing you perform here, once your term is over, "Saturday Night Live" should have a permanent host, I think. [Laughter] The President. Comedian in Chief, I could do a good job. 2 Coach Krzyzewski.

It would be great. The cool thing about our group was that they were fun. And even the energy that—when I walk into a room, I always—like, is it a locker room that needs to be picked up? Or are you already picked up? Coach K is referring to the strength of his team's bond during their time together.And you guys are already up. [Laughter] And—but that's what these guys did for me and my staff the entire year. And I just want to tell them publicly that we love them, and it was amazing. And thanks for sharing that year with me. And the guys coming back, if you could do that again, I wouldn't mind. [Laughter]

We have loved being here. Last night, David Rubenstein made it available for us to have a dinner at the National Archives, so it was an unbelievable night. And in front of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence, our guys were awarded their championship rings last night.

 The President. That's great. Coach Krzyzewski. So that was a cool night. They're pretty big, by the way. The President. They are. [Laughter] Show it again. Coach Krzyzewski. I'm from Chicago. A little bit of bling is not—[laughter]—it's not bad.

But the last 24 hours to be in front of—in that great building, in front of those documents and realizing the great men that started this country, but also then to come here and be in your house. And on behalf of our Duke community, we want to thank you for serving our country over these last two terms. You've been an amazing leader for our country. And it's not just you, but your family and the sacrifices. So thank you very much for your service. [Applause]

 The President. Thank you. Coach Krzyzewski.

When we visit—and you won't have to do this when you visit our house—but usually, when you visit someone's house, you bring a gift. So we brought a few gifts. And I want to explain them and then going to have Amile and Quinn, our cocaptains, give them. But we have a jersey.

 The President. I need a jersey. Coach Krzyzewski. We have a ball, all right. The President. You've got a ball. I need a ball. Coach Krzyzewski. And we have—I know you— The President. My bracket again? [Laughter] Coach Krzyzewski. No, no. We-[laughter]. The President. He did this to me last time. Coach Krzyzewski. No, no. But any time you take a test and you put your answers there, you should always want the approved solution. [Laughter] So that- The President. This is the second time. [Laughter] Coach Krzyzewski.

But the other thing is not material, it's—I know you can't do it while you're President. But after you're through, we would like to scholarship you to our fantasy camp. [Laughter] We run a fantasy camp.

 The President. Oh, excellent. Yes. [Laughter] 3 Coach Krzyzewski. Reggie said you can play and little-pound the ball a little bit, is what he said. The President. Let's do it. [Laughter] Coach Krzyzewski. But for 35-but for guys 35 and older. The President. Yes. I'll dominate. [Laughter] Coach Krzyzewski. He's not unlike the other 80 guys who come-[laughter]-and then, they find out the truth. [Laughter] But anyway, you have a scholarship. The President. Thank you. I'm honored. Thank you. Coach Krzyzewski.

Yes. But again, thank you for inviting us for this very, very special day. And if Quinn and Amile—will you guys come down? If you guys would come in and present that. You can leave the bracket. That was a joke.

[At this point, guard Quinn Cook and forward Amile Jefferson presented the gifts to the President.] The President. Thanks you so much. Fantastic. Thank you. Let's strike the podium, and we'll get good pictures in. Come on, guys.

Note: The President spoke at 11:56 a.m. in the East Room at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to former Personal Aide to the President Reginald L. Love; Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen, guards, Justise Winslow, forward, and Marshall Plumlee, center, Duke University men's basketball team; and Perky and Leslie Plumlee, parents, and Miles and Mason Plumlee, brothers, of Mr. Plumlee.

Categories: Addresses and Remarks : NCAA men's basketball champion Duke University. Locations: Washington, DC.

Names: Allen, Grayson; Brodhead, Richard H., Cook, Quinn; Foxx, Anthony R.; Jefferson, Amile; Jones, Tyus; Krzyzewski, Michael W.; Laettner, Christian D.; Love, Reginald L.; McHugh John M.; Milley, Mark A.; Okafor, Jahlil; Plumlee, Leslie; Plumlee, Marshall; Plumlee, Mason; Plumlee, Miles; Plumlee, Perky; Rhodes, Derek; Rubenstein, David M.; White, Kevin M.; Winslow, Justice.

Subjects: Army, Department of the : Chief of Staff; Army, Department of the : Secretary; Economy, national : Poverty :: Efforts to combat; Education : Early childhood education programs; Education : Postsecondary education :: College opportunity, expansion efforts; Holidays and special observances : Labor Day; Sports : Basketball; Sports : NCAA championship teams; Transportation, Department of the : Secretary; Voluntarism.

DCPD Number: DCPD201500602 4