The students at Paul Laurence Dunbar Elementary School didn't see it coming.
After watching the Miami Heat defeat the Dallas Mavericks in Game One of the NBA Finals, the kids got a surprise visit Wednesday from Heat players Mario Chalmers, Mike Bibby, Juwan Howard and Dexter Pittman, along with Heat President and legendary coach Pat Riley.
"As soon as they walked in," said Dunbar Elementary Principal Ann Gary, "they were like, 'oh, that's such and such, that's such and such,' they were really excited."
The Heat teamed up with the NBA to unveil a brand new room at the school, full of computers, furniture, games and books.
Riley read "Where The Wild Things Are" to the students and gave one of his classic motivational speeches while standing next to the NBA Championship trophy.
"None of these players playing for this (trophy)," Riley said, "would be here without the help of somebody else."
As memorable as this day will be for the students, there's also a lasting impression: the state-of-the-art, Miami Heat-themed "Learn and Play Center," where they can hang with the Heat for years to come.
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"This organization appreciates the support of our fans," said Howard. "We want to show our support for the community."
Follow Adam Kuperstein on Twitter at @akuperstein.
