[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11492]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
congratulating the 2009-2010 National Basketball Association champions, 
the Los Angeles Lakers. In winning their 16th championship, and the 5th 
of this decade, the Lakers cemented their status as one of the most 
successful and storied franchises in the history of professional 
sports.
  Led by a dedicated management and coaching staff and with 
contributions from an outstanding roster of perennial all-stars, 
reliable veterans and exciting young players, the Lakers began their 
successful defense of their 2008-2009 championship by compiling the 
best regular season record in the Western Conference.
  During the playoffs, the Lakers stood tall against challengers to 
their title as they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Utah Jazz, 
and the Phoenix Suns en route to winning the Western Conference title.
  In the NBA finals, the Lakers triumphed against their archrivals, the 
Boston Celtics, in a fiercely contested seven-game series that gripped 
basketball fans from coast to coast and the world over. True to their 
reputation as a team of great resolve and determination, the Lakers 
overcame a deficit in the last quarter of the deciding game in order to 
ensure that the NBA championship trophy will reside in Los Angeles for 
at least another year.
  It is my pleasure to congratulate the members of the Lakers 
organization who worked tirelessly to bring the championship to Los 
Angeles and Southern California.
  As the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans celebrate the 2009-2010 
championship campaign, I congratulate them on another remarkable and 
memorable season and wish them continued success in future seasons.

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