[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 155 (Saturday, September 27, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H10210-H10211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CONGRATULATING NBA CHAMPION BOSTON CELTICS

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform be discharged from further 
consideration of the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 376) 
congratulating the 2007-2008 National Basketball Association World 
Champions, the Boston Celtics, on an outstanding and historic season, 
and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 376

       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

[[Page H10211]]

     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.

  The concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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