By:  Madla, Wentworth                                 S.C.R. No. 63

              Zaffirini, Luna

                            SENATE 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 on his sterling

 1-5     record 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 and was

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

1-18     American Basketball Association he established a reputation as an

1-19     unstoppable offensive force on the hardwood and earned All-Star

1-20     status three of his four 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

 2-1     part of the National Basketball Association in 1976 and led his

 2-2     team to five division titles during his nine years with the

 2-3     organization; and

 2-4           WHEREAS, One of the finest players ever to don the silver and

 2-5     black, Mr. Gervin is still the Spurs' all-time leader in field

 2-6     goals made and attempted and in free throws made; in addition, he

 2-7     ranks among the top five in club history in rebounds, assists,

 2-8     steals, and blocked shots; his Spurs jersey number "44" was retired

 2-9     in December, 1987, and he is one of only two San Antonio players to

2-10     be honored with that distinction; and

2-11           WHEREAS,  He was selected to the National Basketball

2-12     Association All-Star Team for nine consecutive years, earning the

2-13     most valuable player award for his performance in the 1980 All-Star

2-14     Game, and is one of only three players in National Basketball

2-15     Association history to win four or more scoring titles, joining

2-16     Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain in that distinction; and

2-17           WHEREAS, Over the course of his professional career, George

2-18     Gervin scored a total of 26,595 points, which places him on the

2-19     list of all-time scoring leaders; and

2-20           WHEREAS, In 1996 he was chosen for the single greatest honor

2-21     that any person associated with the sport of basketball can attain

2-22     when he was voted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame;

2-23     he was also selected for inclusion in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame

2-24     and was one of the inaugural inductees of the San Antonio Sports

2-25     Hall of Fame; and

 3-1           WHEREAS, The "Iceman" recently received another momentous

 3-2     accolade when he was named one of the 50 greatest players in

 3-3     National Basketball Association history, joining the elite pantheon

 3-4     of roundball heroes whose exploits have helped to shape the game

 3-5     they love; and

 3-6           WHEREAS, Currently a community relations representative with

 3-7     the Spurs organization, this dedicated individual devotes

 3-8     considerable time and energy as a speaker at schools, banquets, and

 3-9     charities, and in addition to coaching basketball clinics, he also

3-10     lends his respected voice to a number of valuable public service

3-11     announcements; and

3-12           WHEREAS, George Gervin has set standards of athletic

3-13     excellence and community service to which all Texans can aspire,

3-14     and it is indeed appropriate that he receive special legislative

3-15     recognition for his unparalleled accomplishments both on and off

3-16     the court at this time; now, therefore, be it

3-17           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

3-18     hereby congratulate George Gervin on his remarkable basketball

3-19     career and commend him for his many significant contributions to

3-20     the citizenry of the Lone Star State; and, be it further

3-21           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

3-22     prepared for George Gervin as an expression of highest regard by

3-23     the Legislature of the State of Texas.