[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 376 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 376


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 29 (legislative day, September 17), 2008

                                Received

            October 2 (legislative day, September 17), 2008

               Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                         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.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 27, 2008.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.