By Van de Putte                                      H.C.R. No. 191

         75R8442 WMS-D                           

                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, The Texas Legislature is proud to honor basketball

 1-2     great George Gervin on his remarkable athletic achievements, which

 1-3     include being the first San Antonio Spurs player inducted into the

 1-4     Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and his sterling record

 1-5     of service to the San Antonio community; and

 1-6           WHEREAS, Born April 27, 1952, he attended Eastern Michigan

 1-7     University, and as a member of that school's basketball team he

 1-8     averaged 26.8 points and 14.4 rebounds a game; in recognition of

 1-9     his singular achievements at Eastern Michigan his jersey was

1-10     retired in 1986; and

1-11           WHEREAS, Possessing a deadly outside jump shot, Mr. Gervin

1-12     was equally adept at driving to the basket, artfully avoiding

1-13     defenders, and successfully completing a play with his trademark

1-14     "finger-roll" layup; and

1-15           WHEREAS, He began his professional basketball career with the

1-16     Virginia Squires of the American Basketball Association (ABA), and

1-17     was later acquired by the San Antonio Spurs; during his tenure in

1-18     the ABA he established a reputation as an unstoppable offensive

1-19     force on the hardwood and earned All-Star status three of his four

1-20     years in the league; and

1-21           WHEREAS, Nicknamed the "Iceman" for his extraordinary

1-22     consistency of play, particularly with the game on the line, he

1-23     continued his success with the Spurs after the franchise became a

1-24     part of the NBA in 1976, and led his team to five division titles

 2-1     during his nine years with the organization; and

 2-2           WHEREAS, One of the finest players ever to don the silver and

 2-3     black, Mr. Gervin is still the Spurs' all-time leader in field

 2-4     goals made and attempted, and free throws made; in addition, he

 2-5     ranks among the top five in club history in rebounds, assists,

 2-6     steals, and blocked shots; his Spurs jersey number "44" was retired

 2-7     in December 1987, and he is one of only two San Antonio players to

 2-8     be honored with that distinction; and

 2-9           WHEREAS,  He was selected to the NBA All-Star Team for nine

2-10     consecutive years, earning the most valuable player award for his

2-11     performance in the 1980 All-Star Game, and is one of only three

2-12     players in NBA history to win four or more scoring titles, joining

2-13     Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain in that distinction; and

2-14           WHEREAS, Over the course of his professional career, George

2-15     Gervin scored a total of 26,595 points, which places him on the

2-16     list of all-time scoring leaders; and

2-17           WHEREAS, In 1996 he was chosen for the single greatest honor

2-18     that any person associated with the sport of basketball can attain

2-19     when he was voted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame;

2-20     he was also selected for inclusion in the Texas Sports Hall of

2-21     Fame, and was one of the inaugural inductees of the San Antonio

2-22     Sports Hall of Fame; and

2-23           WHEREAS, The "Iceman" recently received another momentous

2-24     accolade when he was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA

2-25     history, joining the elite pantheon of roundball heroes whose

2-26     exploits have helped to shape the game they love; and

2-27           WHEREAS, Currently a community relations representative with

 3-1     the Spurs organization, this dedicated individual devotes

 3-2     considerable time and energy as a speaker at schools, banquets, and

 3-3     charities, and in addition to coaching basketball clinics, he also

 3-4     lends his respected voice to a number of valuable public service

 3-5     announcements; and

 3-6           WHEREAS, George Gervin has set standards of athletic

 3-7     excellence and community service to which all Texans can aspire,

 3-8     and it is indeed appropriate that he receive special legislative

 3-9     recognition for his unparalleled accomplishments both on and off

3-10     the court at this time; now, therefore, be it

3-11           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

3-12     hereby congratulates George Gervin on his remarkable basketball

3-13     career and commend him for his many significant contributions to

3-14     the citizenry of the Lone Star State; and, be it further

3-15           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

3-16     prepared for George Gervin as an expression of highest regard by

3-17     the Legislature of the State of Texas.