[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17] [House] [Pages 22555-22557] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING THE MEMORY OF ARNOLD ``RED'' AUERBACH Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 497) to honor the memory of Arnold ``Red'' Auerbach. The Clerk read as follows: H. Con. Res. 497 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 Prep 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, joining 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 leadership of the Boston Celtics, the team won 16 NBA championships, including 9 championships, with a record 8 in a row, during Red's tenure as coach; Whereas when Red retired from coaching in 1966 to become general manager of the Celtics, he was the winningest coach in NBA history with 1,037 victories and had won almost two- thirds of the games he had 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 Celtic 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 decision 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 by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of Congress 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. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio. General Leave Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the concurrent resolution under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Ohio? There was no objection. Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, few coaches or managers in the history of sports, let alone basketball, are as legendary as Arnold ``Red'' Auerbach. His career with the Boston Celtics began in 1950, and right away he began setting new records and benchmarks. The Celtics won nine NBA championships in 10 seasons under his watch as coach, and Auerbach's draft of an African American was a first for the NBA. He continued to break down racial barriers in sports as the first coach in the NBA to start with a lineup of all black players, and the first executive in the history of all professional sports to appoint a black coach. He revolutionized the way basketball was played, focusing entirely on the team rather than on individuals, and he created an arsenal of tactics that had never been used before. Red Auerbach will also be remembered for his lively personality on and off the court. His passion for the game was second to none, and Celtic fans awaited with anticipation for him to ceremoniously light his cigar on the sidelines, a signal to everyone that the game belonged to his team. Coaches with the talent and spark like Red Auerbach are indeed rare. In honor of all he did for the game of basketball and professional sports as a whole, I urge all Members to join me in supporting this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the resolution that recognizes the achievements and the life of famed basketball coach, Arnold ``Red'' Auerbach. [[Page 22556]] Auerbach was both a player and a coach during his career in collegiate and professional basketball, but we all best remember Red as the cigar- chewing coach of the Boston Celtics. As coach of the Celtics, Auerbach led his team to ten Eastern Division titles in 16 years and nine National Basketball Association titles overall. His most astonishing achievement of his 17-year career as coach of the Celtics was winning eight straight NBA titles, a feat unmatched before or since. Red coached the Celtics from 1959 to 1966, but he did not stray far from the team when his coaching days ended. He moved from the court to the front office and was an executive with the franchise until 1980. Auerbach will always be remembered as the coach of one of the most famous basketball dynasties in history. He will always be regarded by many as the best NBA coach of all time. The picture of Red Auerbach that most of us carry in our minds is the image of him lighting up a cigar on the sidelines after his Celtics had won another game, but there are a few lesser known facts about Auerbach that mean a great deal to me and to all African Americans. Red's great vision led him to draft the first African American basketball player in NBA history, he was the first coach to start an all African American lineup in the NBA, and Auerbach was the first executive to hire an African American to coach a professional basketball team. Red changed the way professionals play the game of basketball, and these achievements helped to change the face of basketball as well. On October 28, the basketball world lost a great coach, and the rest of us lost a great American citizen. Although we mourn his loss and will miss his presence at NBA events, we cannot help but see his influence on the game of basketball, wherever it is played. I ask for the adoption of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), the cosponsor of this resolution with me. Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman, and I thank the Members of the House for allowing us to have these few minutes on the floor of the House of Representatives to honor, to recognize one of the greatest Americans of the 20th century, one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time, but also a man who was a pioneer in race relations. In 1950, he was the first person to draft in the NBA an African American. In 1966, he named Bill Russell as the coach of the Boston Celtics, the first African American coach of any major sport in the United States. In 1965, he won the NBA title playing five African American starters on an NBA team. No one had ever done that before, because he was blind to race. I know this, because in 1959 when I was 13 years old, Red Auerbach decided that he was going to have four teams that would alternate playing a game at Boston Garden right before the Boston Celtic game at 1 o'clock. He had a YMHA team, Young Men's Hebrew Association; a Chinese American team; an African American team from Roxbury; and he had a CYO team, a Catholic Youth Organization team, and I was on that team. I was one of the 10 boys on that Catholic team. And we played alternating Sundays right before the Celtics game, in uniform with all the fans coming in; Chinese, African American, Jewish, white, in Boston, in 1959. Red Auerbach was a very special man, because he was dedicated to being color-blind. He was dedicated to excellence, regardless of where the talent came from. It was a message that all of us in Boston saw and heard, and to a very large extent this new African American Governor, this great new Governor that we have in Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, he is a political godchild not only of Bobby Kennedy and John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, but also in Boston, in Massachusetts, of Red Auerbach and the message he was sending through Bill Russell, through these other players a generation ago, to all of us in our State. So we are so, so proud of him. {time} 1415 He always knew that a team could be bigger than the sum of its parts if they all worked together. That was his message. That was something that made him the most successful basketball coach in the history of basketball. It was that notion of teamwork. After each victory, he pulled out a cigar, and I know that it is in violation of House rules to smoke, although in the State of Massachusetts, in all public places, it is illegal to smoke, except written into the law Red Auerbach, because he had a special exception, and out here on the House floor today, to Red I say that you were the ultimate winner, that you were someone who not only won on the court but you won in life and you sent that message to all of us. We thank you for your example. I thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia for recognizing me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution to honor ``Red'' Auerbach, the legendary basketball coach and executive of the Boston Celtics, who passed away in October at the age of 89. Mr. Speaker, Red Auerbach was a winner. As a coach, he won more than a thousand games, including 9 world championships and an unbelievable 8 in a row--a record that still stands today. Overall, he won almost two- thirds of the games he coached over a 20-year NBA career. The 16 world championship banners that hang from the rafters in Boston Garden today are an everlasting testament to Red's incredible talent. As an executive leading the Celtics, he was the architect of one of the greatest dynasties in the history of professional sports. The players he brought onto the Celtics--often by outwitting and outmaneuvering the general managers of the other teams in the league-- remain among the greatest to ever play the game: Bill Russell; Bob Cousy; John Havlicek; Kevin McHale; and of course, Larry Bird. Red understood that it took much more than individual stars to win consistently. That's why he constructed teams with players who knew and excelled at their specific roles, building a whole that always was greater than the sum of its parts. It wasn't unusual for players from other teams to suddenly start playing better when they joined the Celtics than they ever had with their previous team. Red infused the entire Celtics organization with the values of teamwork, respect, tenacity and loyalty, creating a culture known as ``Celtic Pride'' that forever will be associated with the Boston Celtics franchise. It's impossible to overstate Red's impact on the City of Boston and the entire New England region. With his leadership, the Celtics became hometown heroes, and Red was a living legend. Growing up as a boy in Massachusetts, I always got a thrill when Red would let the CYO teams from across the state play on that incredible parquet floor in Boston Garden. It was a highlight for us, and it also was an example of Red's work to break down racial and class barriers. To have white kids and black kids, Hispanic and Jewish kids from communities across the state mixing together was unusual in Boston in the 50s and early 60s, and Red was the one making it happen. Red's lasting impact on our country transcends basketball. His unrivalled ability to identify gifted players was fueled by his laser focus on talent and attitude, which left no room for considerations of race, creed or color. In 1950, Red drafted the NBA's first African-American player, Chuck Cooper. He hired the first African-American head coach in professional sports in 1966 in Bill Russell and was the first coach to put together a starting lineup consisting entirely of African-American players in 1964. While Red made his indelible mark in Boston, his home remained in Washington, DC throughout his career with the Celtics. I was fortunate to be invited to Red's famous lunches at the China Pearl restaurant, where Red would hold court in the middle of a diverse group of journalists, athletes, doctors, coaches, and other friends he had made over the years. Watching Red, it was clear that he was a natural leader--he would have made a great Speaker of the House in his day. Red'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 our country. There will never be another Red Auerbach--he was an American original. Our [[Page 22557]] hearts go out to Red's family and friends. I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution in Red's honor. Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman for those comments. That is a very appropriate prop to use this time. I have just an additional word about Red Auerbach. Mr. Speaker, when you have won two-thirds of the games you ever coached over a 20-year period, there is hardly anybody in America who is not going to claim you. Brooklyn has every right to claim Red Auerbach for growing up there. Boston certainly claims him. Actually, Russia could claim him. The man was born in Russia, and we remember the time when Russia used to claim to invent everything whether it happened there. Well, this did happen there. I am here to claim Red Auerbach, too, because he actually began his coaching career right here in the District of Columbia, coaching on two high school teams, one, a private high school team, St. Albans; the other, a public high school team, Roosevelt High School. Wouldn't you know it? The great characteristics of sportsmanship should be remembered as much as the more than thousand games that Red Auerbach won, the notion of respect and loyalty, the culture he brought to the game, which, if I may say so, often today seems absent from the game and from sports. As we remember Red Auerbach, I hope we will remember his standards and the culture that he insisted upon by the example he set in the sport where he excelled above all others. He never stopped working for basketball in countless ways, as an ambassador of the game, his television series, Red on Round Ball. The man wrote seven books about basketball. Finally, of course, today it may seem unbelievable that as recently as 1950 Auerbach distinguished himself by drafting the first African American player in the NBA, Chuck Cooper. Goodness sakes, very late in the history of our country, particularly if we consider that the game is, if anything, inordinately dependent today on African American players. Then, of course, about 16 years later, it would seem he hired the first African American head coach in professional sports. That is a real breakthrough because you have to have the courage to move with someone whom you believe can do exactly what you are doing and what those who are leaders of the game did, and of course he found the right man and the right time in Bill Russell. As recently as 1964, Red started the first all African American lineup of players. I think there was some reluctance to do that by some. Regardless of what it might have done for the game before that, Red Auerbach simply did it. There are many ways, Mr. Speaker, for a man or a woman to show courage on race. There are many ways to be a civil rights leader. For America and especially for those who needed him most, we in the House today say thanks, Red. Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 497. As a Boston Celtics fan, I am proud to be a cosponsor of this resolution, which honors the memory of Arnold ``Red'' Auerbach. Red Auerbach was known as the man who turned the Boston Celtics into a dynasty franchise. A fiery and competitive coach, he understood the importance of each individual player's role on a team. He was also a savvy businessman who made his decisions based on what was best for his team, regardless of how society might have viewed him. His methods and coaching styles were copied by many, leading to Auerbach being called the inventor of modern professional basketball and one of the greatest coaches in professional sports history. Born on September 20, 1917, in Brooklyn, NY, Auerbach was a basketball captain and also school president at Eastern District High School. He went on to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree from George Washington University, where he played basketball for three years. His marriage in 1941 to Dorothy Lewis, as well as his ties to his alma mater, led Auerbach to establish his home in the Washington, DC area, where he also began his basketball coaching career. In 1950, he began his legendary run as the head coach of the Boston Celtics. As the Celtics coach, he won nine National Basketball Association championships, including eight straight from 1959 to 1966, which still stands as a record in North American professional sports. Fearless and not easily swayed by the prevalent attitudes surrounding him, Auerbach drafted the NBA's first black player, named the first black coach in any professional sports league, and had the first all-black starting lineup in NBA history. After the 1966 season, he decided to hand over the coaching reins, but remained with the Celtics as an executive, and he would be affiliated with the organization for the rest of his life. Red Auerbach passed away on October 28, 2006, just shy of attending his 57th straight Celtics game opener in Boston. Red Auerbach was the epitome of the Celtics, and his legendary status made it seem he would live forever. While it is hard to picture the Celtics and the world without him, Red Auerbach has left his mark. His guiding principles-- family, loyalty, teamwork--should not only be taught on the basketball court, but guidelines we should all follow. Red Auerbach leaves behind two daughters, Nancy Collins and Randy; one granddaughter; and three great grandchildren. May we keep his loved ones in our thoughts and prayers, and may his memory live on forever. Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Arnold ``Red'' Auerbach, the legendary coach, general manager, and president of the Boston Celtics. Red was the architect and mastermind of one of the most dominant franchises in professional sports history. He coached the Celtics from 1950 to 1966, and during his tenure the franchise won nine NBA titles, including eight straight from 1959 to 1966--the longest string of championships in the history of North American professional sports. His historic coaching career ended in 1966 with 938 regular season victories, a record that stood until Lenny Wilkins broke it in the 1994-95 season and 9 championship rings, an amount only matched by the current Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson. Auerbach was revered for his unique ability to scout and recognize talent. Throughout his time as a coach and in the front office he engineered some of the most historic trades and draft selections in NBA history. One of the most notable was in the 1956 NBA Draft when the franchise traded up to the second pick in the draft and selected Future Hall of Famer Bill Russell from the University of San Francisco. Also, while in the Celtic's front office, Auerbach assembled arguably the greatest front line in NBA history when he drafted Larry Bird in 1978 as a ``junior eligible'' selection and then in 1980 worked out a deal that brought Robert Parish to the team and allowed the franchise to draft Kevin McHale out of the University of Minnesota. All three players are now members of the NBA Hall of Fame and became the nucleus that led the Celtics to 3 world Championships in the 1980's. Auerbach's influence on the game went beyond the numerous victories and championships; he also was a pioneer in advancing race equality within the NBA. In 1950, the Celtics franchise selected Chuck Cooper of Duquesne University in the second round as the first black player to ever be selected in the NBA Draft. In addition during the 1963-64 season, Auerbach's starting line up of Bill Russell, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, Tom Sanders, and Willie Naulls became the first all black starting line up in NBA history. And finally upon his retirement in 1966, Auerbach chose Bill Russell to succeed him as the coach of the Boston Celtics becoming the first African American to coach an American professional sports team. Please join me in recognizing this American legend, his contributions to both the game of basketball and the nation will be forever remembered. Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Aderholt). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 497. The question was taken; and (two-thirds of those voting having responded in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________