By Madla S.C.R. No. 63 75R8442 WMS-D 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.