[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 497 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.Con.Res.497
                                              Agreed to December 7, 2006

                       One Hundred Ninth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
             the third day of January, two thousand and six


                          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.

Attest:

                                 Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Attest:

                                               Secretary of the Senate.