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. _______________________________ _______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I hereby certify that S.C.R. No. 63 was adopted by the Senate on April 7, 1997. _______________________________ Secretary of the Senate I hereby certify that S.C.R. No. 63 was adopted by the House on April 25, 1997. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House Approved: _______________________________ Date _______________________________ Governor