[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 90 (Thursday, June 30, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H5594-H5595]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING SAN ANTONIO SPURS FOR WINNING 2005 NATIONAL BASKETBALL 
                        ASSOCIATION CHAMPIONSHIP

  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on 
Government Reform be discharged from further consideration of the 
resolution (H. Res. 339) congratulating the San Antonio Spurs for 
winning the 2005 National Basketball Association Championship, and ask 
for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 339

       Whereas on June 23, 2005, the San Antonio Spurs won the 
     National Basketball Association's (NBA) Championship with an 
     81-74 victory over the Detroit Pistons;
       Whereas the Spurs' win resulted in their third NBA 
     championship title in franchise history;
       Whereas the Spurs competed against the Pistons to win the 
     series 4-3;
       Whereas the Detroit Pistons and their coach, Larry Brown, 
     put up a battle worthy of a championship series;
       Whereas under the guidance of Coach Gregg Popovich, the 
     Spurs' Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Robert Horry, 
     Bruce Bowen, Nazr Mohammed, Brent Barry, Beno Udrih, Rasho 
     Nesterovic, Glenn Robinson, Devin Brown, and Tony Massenburg 
     played valiantly to bring the NBA trophy back home to San 
     Antonio;
       Whereas congratulations are due as well to the Spurs' 
     owners, Peter and Julianna Holt, and all of the other people 
     in the Spurs' organization.
       Whereas Tim Duncan was for the third time named the finals' 
     Most Valuable Player following the Spurs' victory;
       Whereas Coach Gregg Popovich is only one of two active 
     coaches to win three championship titles and only the fifth 
     in league history; and
       Whereas San Antonio has the best hometown crowd in the 
     league and the Alamo City is the perfect setting for a 
     championship celebration: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives congratulates 
     the San Antonio Spurs and Coach Gregg Popovich for another 
     exciting basketball season and for winning the 2005 National 
     Basketball Association Championship.

  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, this resolution congratulates the San Antonio 
Spurs--and especially, 3-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Tim 
Duncan, the pride of Wake Forest University, which is located in my 
district--for winning the 2005 NBA championship.
  Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the San 
Antonio Spurs for winning their third National Basketball Association 
Championship in seven years. The 2005 World Champion Spurs deserve 
recognition for this achievement, and the class and sportsmanship they 
displayed in victory.
  The Spurs won their third championship against a most worthy 
opponent, the tough and determined defending champion Detroit Pistons. 
In this seven-game series, both the Spurs and the Pistons blew each 
other out for two games apiece, but in the last three games each team 
showed the championship-caliber mettle that made this series a classic.
  The Spurs displayed the skills, determination, and courage to 
overcome an opponent displaying the same qualities and playing with the 
same philosophy. This provided for scintillating games five, six, and 
seven, in which each team would give no ground, and the winner deserved 
the victory.
  This final, championship round featured two juggernauts of team 
defense, and the results showcased the simple beauty of the game the 
focus not strictly on the hype of individual scoring and acrobatic 
plays. The pride and joy of the Spurs and Coach Gregg Popovich is 
cohesive and tenacious defense that takes victory for its own.
  The San Antonio Spurs are champions not only on the court, but off. 
The Spurs are the paragon of professionalism and teamwork, and while 
this may not sell for the casual fan, it sells very well for the fans 
in San Antonio and South Texas who admire these values. The San Antonio 
Spurs are both a vital member of the community and a community concept 
viewed with pride by all San Antonians.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to enter the names of these champions into 
the Record: Tim Duncan; Manu Ginobili; Tony Parker; Bruce Bowen; Nazr 
Mohammed; Robert Horry; Brent Barry; Devin Brown; Rasho Nesterovic; 
Beno Udrih; Tony Massenburg; Glenn Robinson; Head Coach Gregg Popovich, 
and Chairman Peter Holt.
  I congratulate them on this momentous victory, and thank them for the 
pride and happiness they bring to all San Antonio.
  Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 339, 
which honors the newly crowned champions of the NBA, the San Antonio 
Spurs. The Spurs have just won their third title in seven years. In a 
hard fought victory, the Spurs eventually triumphed over the defending 
NBA champions the Detroit Pistons in a back and forth series that 
culminated in a decisive seventh game. I must also honor the spirit of 
the Detroit Pistons who did not quit after the Spurs routed them in the 
first two games nor when the Spurs won the crucial game five. Even 
though the Pistons very reluctantly surrendered the title, they pushed 
the series to the full seven games, the first NBA finals to go the 
distance in 11 years.
  Every significant structure must have a sound and strong foundation, 
and the Spurs are the model of stability in professional sports as the 
principal owners, Peter and Julianna Holt, allow the people they hire 
to run the team without interference. Coach Greg Popovich and General 
Manager R.C. Buford have created an atmosphere that fosters the

[[Page H5595]]

spirit of winning basketball and epitomizes the ideals of teamwork, 
cooperation, and the axiom that the whole is more than the sum of the 
parts. It is a style that demands sharing the ball, team defense, 
relentless effort and, above all, selfless play.
  Moreover, the international composition of the team reflects the 
increasingly diversified, more tightly knit world in which we live. 
General Manager, R.C. Buford, spends a great deal of his time in gyms 
all over the world looking for the next Manu Ginobili, the Argentine 
swingman whose acrobatic drives into the lane electrified fans and 
dazzled the opposition. Given the range of languages and cultures of 
the Spurs, Coach Popovich has done an amazing job of integrating his 
players into a formidable and cohesive whole.
  Mr. Speaker, I agree with San Antonio native Dean Aguillen, a die-
hard Spurs fan and one of my constituents, when he says that ``The 
greatness of the Spurs players who hail from Argentina, the Virgin 
Islands, France, Slovenia, New Zealand, and from across the U.S. have 
made San Antonio the capital of the international basketball world.''
  Naturally, the city of San Antonio has longed embraced the Spurs and 
considers them family. Spurs basketball suits the Alamo City as a place 
where substance matters much more than style and people hold others to 
their words. When the Spurs say they will give their all, they do. So, 
it is never a surprise when the colors of silver and black sweep the 
city come springtime as the Spurs work deeper and deeper into the 
playoffs.
  So, I would like to honor Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, 
Bruce Bowen, Nazr Mohammed, Rasho Nesterovic, Robert Horry, Devin 
Brown, Beno Udrih, Brent Barry, and Tony Massenburg. I would also like 
to recognize Greg Popovich who has now moved into elite coaching 
company with his third title.
  The Spurs truly embody our national motto, e pluribus unum, which of 
course means out of the many come one. All of San Antonio is very proud 
of the Spurs and of this momentous accomplishment.
  Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding 
achievement of the San Antonio Spurs and congratulate them for winning 
the 2005 National Basketball Association Championship on June 23. This 
is the third time in the past five years that National Championship 
trophy has come home to San Antonio. This was a dramatic seven game 
series against the Detroit Pistons, and hard fought at every step along 
the way. Under the guidance of Coach Greg Popovich, the Spurs' Tim 
Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Robert Horry, Bruce Bowen, Nazr 
Mohammed, Brent Barry, Beno Udrih, Rasho Nesterovic, Glenn Robinson, 
Devin Brown, and Tony Massenburg played valiantly to bring the NBA 
trophy back home to the fans of San Antonio. In fact, Tim Duncan earned 
recognition as the final's most valuable player for the third time due 
to his performance, leadership and character. In life it's not just 
whether you win, it's how you play the game. America has seen how the 
Spurs are a true team of character, no ball hogs, no billboard tattoos, 
no nose rings. It is a team that worked like a well oiled machine. No 
longer can anyone in the NBA say ``nice guys finish last''.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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