[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 376 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 376
Congratulating the 2007-2008 National Basketball Association World
Champions, the Boston Celtics, on an outstanding and historic season.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 23, 2008
Mr. Markey (for himself, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Neal of
Massachusetts, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. Olver, Mr.
Delahunt, Ms. Tsongas, Mr. Tierney, and Mr. Johnson of Illinois)
submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Congratulating the 2007-2008 National Basketball Association World
Champions, the Boston Celtics, on an outstanding and historic season.
Whereas the Boston Celtics are one of the most successful and respected
franchises in the history of professional sports;
Whereas prior to the 2007-2008 season, the Celtics had won 16 National
Basketball Association (NBA) championships, more than any other team in
NBA history, with a cast of players that, over the years, has included
Hall of Famers such as Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, John
Havlicek, Dave Cowens, JoJo White, and other Celtic stars, whose
accomplishments were captured from ``high above courtside'' by legendary
Celtics sportscaster Johnny Most;
Whereas the Celtics' unmatched record of achievement on the basketball court has
been further enhanced by the team's creation of an organizational
culture, known as ``Celtic Pride'', based on the values of teamwork,
tenacity, and loyalty, which was developed and encouraged by the
legendary, late Celtics' head coach and team executive, Arnold ``Red''
Auerbach;
Whereas the Celtics' performance last season, in which the team finished with a
record of 24-58, losing 18 games in a row at one point during the
season, was a stark departure from the team's historically high caliber
of play;
Whereas in the off-season, the Celtics' Executive Director of Basketball
Operations Danny Ainge, with the support of the team's owners, responded
quickly and aggressively to the disappointing season and acquired 2 NBA
all-stars, power forward Kevin Garnett and guard Ray Allen;
Whereas Garnett and Allen joined Celtics' all-star forward Paul Pierce and
formed a ``Big Three'' of outstanding players reminiscent of the ``Big
Three'' of past Celtic greats Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert
Parish, who led the Celtics to NBA championships in the 1980s;
Whereas the combination of Garnett, Allen, and Pierce immediately sparked the
most dramatic turnaround in NBA history, as the Celtics started the
2007-2008 season with an 8-0 record and kept the momentum throughout the
season, achieving records of 20-2 and 40-9;
Whereas the Celtics finished the regular season with a league-best record of 66-
16;
Whereas the Celtics entered the NBA playoffs with home court advantage as a
result of the team's regular season performance and defeated the Atlanta
Hawks in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals in 7 games;
Whereas the Celtics then faced the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference
semifinals, winning in 7 games, with team captain Paul Pierce scoring 41
points in a 97-92 victory in the deciding game;
Whereas the Celtics squared off against the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern
Conference finals, clinching the series in 6 games, thanks to the
outstanding plays of Paul Pierce, James Posey, Ray Allen, and Rajon
Rondo;
Whereas the Celtics matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals
represented a battle of league titans, as the Celtics-Lakers rivalry
spans decades, and either the Celtics or the Lakers have won half of the
NBA's 62 championships;
Whereas the Celtics won the first 2 games of the finals in Boston, including a
hard-fought Game 2 during which Leon Powe, the Celtics' second-year
power forward, scored 21 points in 15 minutes off the bench, propelling
the Celtics to a 108-102 victory;
Whereas although the Celtics lost Game 3 in Los Angeles by a score of 87-81, the
team overcame a 20-point deficit in the third quarter of Game 4 to
record one of the greatest comebacks in NBA finals history, powered by
active team defense and a tremendous performance by Celtics' guard Ray
Allen, who played all 48 minutes of the game on the way to a 97-91
Celtics victory;
Whereas although the Celtics were unable to defeat the Lakers in Game 5 despite
a rally that fell just short, the Celtics responded by clinching a
record 17th NBA championship in Game 6 on June 17, 2008, winning on the
team's home court in Boston on the storied parquet floor now graced with
Red Auerbach's signature by a score of 131-92, a 39-point margin that is
the largest gap ever for an NBA finals closeout game;
Whereas the Celtics' revival from a last place finish in the Eastern
Conference's Atlantic Division last season to a record 17th NBA
Championship this season is the greatest single-season turnaround in NBA
history;
Whereas in addition to the contributions of superstars Garnett, Allen, and
Pierce, the strong, sustained efforts of the entire Celtics team,
including Kendrick Perkins and a bench of tenacious and talented players
such as Eddie House, James Posey, P.J. Brown, Sam Cassell, Tony Allen,
Glen Davis, and Brian Scalabrine enabled the Celtics to return to the
glory that has marked much of the franchise's history;
Whereas Celtics owners Wyc Grousbeck, Steve Pagliuca, H. Irving Grousbeck, and
Bob Epstein, along with Executive Director of Basketball Operations
Danny Ainge, Head Coach Doc Rivers, and the entire Celtics roster and
coaching staff have earned a special place in Boston sports history; and
Whereas the Celtics have joined with the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots
to transform Boston from ``Beantown'' to ``Titletown'', as the 3 teams
have won a combined 6 championships in 6 years: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That it is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the 2007-2008 National Basketball Association (NBA)
World Champions, the Boston Celtics, are to be congratulated
for an outstanding and historic season;
(2) the Celtics, in winning a record 17th NBA World
Championship, capped a remarkable, unprecedented single-season
turnaround that captivated basketball fans across America and
around the world; and
(3) the hustle, team defense, and overall unselfish play of
the 2007-2008 Celtics are emblematic of the ``Celtic Pride''
tradition that has been a hallmark of the franchise for more
than half a century, and serves as a model for coaches and
players everywhere.
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