[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 133 (Wednesday, December 6, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11348-S11349]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 624--TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF ARNOLD ``RED'' AUERBACH

  Mr. KENNEDY (for himself and Mr. Kerry) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 624

       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 
     Preparatory 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, then joined 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 16 years coaching the Boston Celtics, 
     the team won 9 NBA championships, with a record 8 in a row;
       Whereas, when Red retired from coaching in 1966 to become 
     General Manager of the Celtics, he had won more games than 
     any other coach in NBA history with 1,037 victories and had 
     won almost two-thirds of the

[[Page S11349]]

     games he 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 Celtics 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 decisions 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, That it is the sense of the Senate 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.

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