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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Former San Antonio Spurs player George "Iceman" |
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Gervin is celebrating his 65th birthday on April 26, 2017, and this |
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occasion presents a welcome opportunity to recognize not only his |
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remarkable athletic achievements but also his stellar record of |
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service to the Alamo City; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in 1952, George Gervin played basketball at |
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Eastern Michigan University, where he tallied a total of 1,044 |
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points and 562 rebounds and gained recognition for his devastating |
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outside jump shot and his equally adept skills in driving to the |
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basket, artfully avoiding defenders, and successfully finishing a |
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play with his trademark finger-roll layup; in honor of his singular |
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accomplishments, the university retired his jersey in 1986 and |
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inducted him into the EMU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Gervin began his professional career with the |
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Virginia Squires of the American Basketball Association, and during |
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his four-year tenure in the ABA, he established a reputation as an |
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unstoppable offensive force on the hardwood and earned All-Star |
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status three times; he also received the nickname "Iceman" for his |
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extraordinarily consistent production and on-court demeanor and |
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his clutch performances when the game was on the line; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1974, Mr. Gervin was acquired by the San Antonio |
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Spurs, and after the franchise joined the NBA in 1976, he helped |
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lead the team to five division titles over nine years; moreover, he |
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garnered All-Star honors nine consecutive times and received the |
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Most Valuable Player Award for his outstanding performance in the |
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1980 All-Star Game; and |
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WHEREAS, Among the best players to ever don the silver and |
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black of San Antonio, Mr. Gervin scored a career total of 26,595 |
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points, and today he remains the Spurs' all-time leader in points |
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per game and ranks among the top five in franchise history in field |
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goals made and attempted, free throws made, rebounds, assists, |
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steals, and blocked shots; in addition, he is one of only three |
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players in league history to win at least four scoring titles, along |
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with Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain, and ranks in the top 50 of |
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all-time NBA scoring leaders; the Spurs retired his number 44 |
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jersey in December 1987, and he is one of only six San Antonio |
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players to ever receive that honor; and |
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WHEREAS, Since his retirement, Mr. Gervin has been accorded a |
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host of other prestigious accolades; in 1996, he became the first |
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Spurs player to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball |
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Hall of Fame, and he was also one of the inaugural inductees of the |
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San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame and was selected for inclusion in |
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the Texas Sports Hall of Fame; moreover, he has been named one of |
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the 50 greatest players in league history by the NBA, earning his |
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rightful place in a pantheon of basketball legends whose exploits |
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have helped shape the game they love; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, Mr. Gervin serves as a community relations |
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representative with the Spurs, a role in which he devotes |
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considerable time and energy to speaking at schools, banquets, and |
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charities, coaching at basketball clinics, and lending his |
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respected voice to a number of valuable public service |
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announcements; outside the organization, he has further benefited |
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the city as the founder of the George Gervin Youth Center, an |
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institution dedicated to helping educate local kids, assisting |
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senior citizens with finding quality affordable housing, and |
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providing young adults with the necessary resources to become |
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productive members of the community; and |
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WHEREAS, George Gervin built one of the most storied careers |
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in Spurs franchise history and has continued to give back to the |
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local community ever since, and he is indeed deserving of special |
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recognition; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate George "Iceman" Gervin on his 65th |
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birthday and extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, |
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be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Gervin as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |