[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 120, 109th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
NOTE: Dec. 7, 2006 -  [H.Con.Res.497]  ARNOLD ``RED'' AUERBACH--
HONORING

Whereas Arnold ``Red'' Auerbach was born on September 20, 1917, in
Brooklyn, New York, the son of immigrants from Minsk, Rus- sia;

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;


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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.

Agreed to December 7, 2006.