[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 497 Engrossed in House (EH)]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 497

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas Arnold ``Red'' Auerbach was born on September 20, 1917, in Brooklyn, New 
        York, the son of immigrants from Minsk, Russia;
Whereas Red started playing basketball as a public school student in Brooklyn 
        and later became a star guard for Eastern District High School, making 
        all-scholastic second team in his senior year;
Whereas Red started his coaching career at St. Albans Prep School and Roosevelt 
        High School in Washington, D.C., before serving in the United States 
        Navy from 1943 to 1946;
Whereas, in 1946, Red began his professional coaching career with the Washington 
        Capitols in the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and led the team 
        to the 1947 and 1949 division titles, joining the Boston Celtics as 
        coach in 1950 after the BAA merged with the National Basketball 
        Association (NBA);
Whereas Red's record of success on the basketball court and in the Celtics' 
        front office is unmatched;
Whereas during Red's leadership of the Boston Celtics, the team won 16 NBA 
        championships, including 9 championships, with a record 8 in a row, 
        during Red's tenure as coach;
Whereas when Red retired from coaching in 1966 to become general manager of the 
        Celtics, he was the winningest coach in NBA history with 1,037 victories 
        and had won almost two-thirds of the games he had coached over a 20-year 
        NBA coaching career;
Whereas during his nearly 57-year tenure with the Celtics as Head Coach, General 
        Manager, Vice Chairman of the Board, and President, Red was the 
        architect of one of the greatest dynasties in the history of 
        professional sports;
Whereas Red infused the Celtics organization with the values of teamwork, 
        respect, tenacity, and loyalty, creating a culture known as ``Celtic 
        Pride'' that will be forever associated with the Boston Celtics 
        franchise;
Whereas Red's imprint on the Celtics, the NBA, and the game of basketball is 
        permanent and visible today in innovations that Red developed, including 
        the ``sixth man'' role and fast break style of play;
Whereas Red was an effective and tireless ambassador for the game of basketball, 
        both in the United States and overseas, conducting clinics, barnstorming 
        with the Celtics, starring in the successful television series ``Red on 
        Roundball'', writing 7 books on basketball, including the influential 
        ``Basketball For The Player, The Coach, and The Fan'', and participating 
        with Celtic great and Hall of Famer Larry Bird in the instructional 
        video, ``Winning Basketball'';
Whereas Red received numerous awards and honors in recognition of his 
        extraordinary achievements, such as selection as the NBA Coach of the 
        Year in 1965, induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of 
        Fame in 1969, designation as the NBA ``Executive of the Year'' in 1980, 
        and selection as ``The Greatest Coach in the History of the NBA'' by the 
        Professional Basketball Writers' Association of America in 1980;
Whereas Red's lighting of his cigar in the closing moments of an imminent 
        Celtics' victory became an enduring symbol of success in Boston and 
        around the world;
Whereas Red's legacy extends beyond the game of basketball and includes his 
        important contributions to the advancement of a colorblind society 
        through his decision to draft the NBA's first African-American player, 
        Chuck Cooper, in 1950, hire the first African-American head coach in 
        professional sports, Bill Russell, in 1966, and field the first starting 
        lineup in the NBA consisting entirely of African-American players in 
        1964; and
Whereas the name ``Red Auerbach'' will forever be synonymous with winning, 
        intensity, integrity, and charitable causes: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) Arnold ``Red'' Auerbach was a basketball genius who 
        embodied the values of creativity, determination, versatility, 
        and commitment to helping the less fortunate;
            (2) Red Auerbach was a leader in the effort to remove 
        racial barriers and allow merit to prevail in professional 
        sports, through his decisions to draft, hire, and prominently 
        feature African-Americans on the Boston Celtics basketball 
        team; and
            (3) Red Auerbach's place among the greatest coaches and 
        executives of all time is assured, his contributions to the 
        betterment of society will always endure, and his life 
        exemplifies the very best ideals of the United States.


            Passed the House of Representatives December 6, 2006.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
109th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                            H. CON. RES. 497

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

            To honor the memory of Arnold ``Red'' Auerbach.