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July 21, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8465 CONGRATULATING NBA CHAMPION championship and achieve historic cham- Madam Speaker, the pionships for , and Lakers stand as one of sporting his- Bryant; tory’s greatest franchises. The team Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I move Whereas the Lakers’ was pre- to suspend the rules and agree to the sented with the NBA Finals was founded in 1946 in and resolution (H. Res. 566) congratulating Most Valuable Player Award; moved to where it adopted the 2008–2009 National Asso- Whereas in addition to the contributions of its name, the Lakers, after ’s ciation Champions, the Los Angeles superstars Bryant, Gasol, and Odom, strong State nickname, Land of 10,000 Lakes. Lakers, on an outstanding and historic contributions by Ariza, Brown, Farmar, The Lakers relocated to Los Angeles in . Ilunga-Mbenga, Bynum, Fisher, Powell, 1960. Vujacic, and Walton returned the that In the , the Lakers became one The Clerk read the title of the resolu- has marked much of the Los Angeles Lakers tion. of the NBA’s most electrifying and suc- franchise history; cessful teams, winning five champion- The text of the resolution is as fol- Whereas Lakers owner , General lows: Manager , Head Coach Phil ships with Hall of Famers Earvin H. RES. 566 Jackson, and the entire roster and coaching ‘‘Magic’’ Johnson, Kareem Abdul- Whereas the Los Angeles Lakers are one of staff have joined previous great Lakers Jabbar, , and Coach Pat the most successful and respected franchises teams in winning the NBA championship; Riley. The Lakers’ dominance extended in the history of the National Basketball As- and into the 21st century as they won three sociation (NBA); Whereas the hustle, team defense, and consecutive NBA championships from Whereas prior to the 2008–2009 season, the overall unselfish play of the 2008–2009 Lakers 2000 to 2002. Lakers won 14 NBA championships, with a are emblematic of the tradition that has Thanks to this year’s impressive been a hallmark of the franchise for more cast of players that, over the years, have in- NBA Finals victory over the Orlando cluded NBA greats such as Wilt Chamber- than 63 years, and serves as a model for coaches and players everywhere: Now, there- Magic, the Lakers now boast the NBA lain, Erving ‘‘Magic’’ Johnson, James Wor- franchise record for the most wins, the thy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, fore, be it , , A.C. Green, Resolved, That it is the sense of the House highest winning percentage, and the and other Lakers stars, whose accomplish- of Representatives that— most NBA Finals appearances. Of ments were captured courtside by legendary (1) the 2008–2009 National Basketball Asso- course, I would be remiss if I failed to Lakers sportscaster Francis Dayle ‘‘Chick/ ciation (NBA) World Champions, the Los An- mention that my own beloved Boston Chicky Baby’’ Hearn; geles Lakers, are to be congratulated for an outstanding and historic season; and Celtics still hold the record for the Whereas in the off-season, the Lakers’ Gen- most NBA Finals championships. You eral Manager, Mitch Kupchak, with the sup- (2) the Lakers, in winning their 15th NBA World Championship, capped a remarkable, would think they would have picked port of the team’s owner, Jerry Buss, main- someone else to do this resolution, but tained the Lakers core of Kobe Bryant, unprecedented single-season turnaround that , , , and captivated basketball fans across America I am happy to congratulate a job well ; and around the world. done. Whereas the combination of Bryant, Odom, The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Led by Head Coach Phil Jackson, one Fisher, Gasol, and Ariza, led the 2008–2009 ant to the rule, the gentleman from of the most successful coaches in NBA Lakers to a 65–17 regular season record and Massachusetts (Mr. LYNCH) and the history, and Finals MVP Kobe Bryant, the one spot in the Western Con- gentleman from (Mr. CHAFFETZ) the Lakers’ road to the NBA champion- ference ; each will control 20 minutes. ship was lined with its fair share of Whereas Ariza first came to fame as a The Chair recognizes the gentleman challenges. While playing in the highly member of the 2002 and 2003 State from Massachusetts. Championship teams at Westchester High competitive Western Conference, the GENERAL LEAVE School in Los Angeles, California; Lakers earned the conference’s best Whereas the Lakers entered the NBA play- Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I ask regular season record and were domi- offs with home court advantage as a result of unanimous consent that all Members nant throughout the playoffs. the team’s regular season performance and may have 5 legislative days within For this accomplishment, Madam defeated the in 5 games; which to revise and extend their re- Speaker, we stand to commend the Los Whereas the Lakers then faced the Hous- marks. Angeles Lakers franchise, the players, ton Rockets in the Western Conference The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there coaches and, of course, the diehard semifinals, winning in 7 games, with Pau objection to the request of the gen- Lakers fans on a job well done. I am Gasol scoring 21 points in an 89–70 victory in tleman from Massachusetts? the deciding game; sure that the Lakers’ championship is There was no objection. an enormous source of pride for the Whereas the Lakers squared off against the Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I now residents of Los Angeles, the sur- high-octane Nuggets, clinching the yield myself as much time as I may series in 6 games, thanks to the outstanding rounding area, and the great State of consume. play of Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant; California as well. Whereas the Lakers’ matchup with the Or- Madam Speaker, as chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Federal In closing, I urge the adoption of lando Magic in the NBA finals represented a House Resolution 566. battle between a veteran team, the Lakers, Workforce, Postal Service, and the Dis- trict of Columbia and on behalf of the I reserve the balance of my time. and a young Magic team, led by Dwight How- Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I ard; House Oversight and Government Re- Whereas the Lakers won the first 2 games form Committee, I am pleased to join sympathize with the anguish and the agony that my colleague from Massa- of the finals in Los Angeles, including a my colleagues, and principally Ms. WA- chusetts must have in reading and sup- hard-fought Game 2, during which Kobe Bry- TERS from the State of California, in ant and Pau Gasol combined for 53 points, the consideration of H. Res. 566, which porting this resolution. I can only hope propelling the Lakers to a 101–96 victory; provides for the recognition of the Na- that this is truly captured on film for Whereas although the Lakers lost Game 3 future use. in Orlando by a score of 108–104, NBA fans tional Basketball Association Cham- pion Los Angeles Lakers for capturing I rise in support today, as a Utah were treated to a 31- performance by Jazz fan, in recognizing a great accom- Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who played all their 15th NBA championship. but 8 minutes of ; House Resolution 566 was introduced plishment in the world of sports. What Whereas the Lakers were able to defeat the by Representative MAXINE WATERS of these athletes are able to do and how Magic in Game 4 despite a 25-point perform- California on June 19, 2009, and cur- they do it is truly remarkable. So I rise ance by Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu; rently has the support and cosponsor- in support of H. Res. 566 to congratu- Whereas the Lakers won Game 5 against ship of 50 Members of Congress, none of late the 2008–2009 Los Angeles Lakers the Magic by a final score of 99–86, clinching whom are from the city of Boston, in bringing home their 15th NBA cham- a historic championship, Kobe Bryant’s first courtesy of Chairman TOWNS. The pionship. championship without Shaquille O’Neal, measure has been considered and ap- For the Lakers, this was a season of Head Coach Phil Jackson’s 10th title as a redemption that ultimately ended in coach, and the Lakers organization’s 15th proved by the Oversight Committee championship; and now comes to the House floor as a victory and a historic achievement. Whereas the Lakers recovered from a dev- means of highlighting the Lakers’ suc- The conclusion of the 2007–2008 season astating loss in the 2008 NBA finals against cessful 2008–2009 NBA season and their saw the Lakers experiencing a the to win the 2009 NBA final victory. humiliating 39-point blowout to the

VerDate Nov 24 2008 02:57 Sep 28, 2009 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00055 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD09\RECFILES\H21JY9.REC H21JY9 smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE H8466 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE July 21, 2009 Boston Celtics in game six of the NBA pionship. This resolution, H. Res. 566, congratulate her on her resolution and Playoffs, I will remind my colleague commemorates the Los Angeles for the victory that it represents. from Massachusetts. From that mo- Lakers’ 15th National Basketball Asso- I yield back the balance of my time. ment, the storied franchise made a ciation championship. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The commitment to redeem themselves and Prior to the 2008–2009 season, the question is on the motion offered by immediately began the long, arduous Lakers won 14 National Basketball As- the gentleman from Massachusetts process of working their way back to sociation championships with a cast of (Mr. LYNCH) that the House suspend championship glory. One year later, Hall of Famers and coaches, which in- the rules and agree to the resolution, this long and difficult journey cul- cluded NBA greats such as , H. Res. 566. minated with victory and established , Earvin ‘‘Magic’’ The question was taken. themselves as the standard against Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the which every franchise in the NBA will Shaquille O’Neal, , and cur- opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being be measured. rent Head Coach Phil Jackson. in the affirmative, the ayes have it. While the entire Lakers organization This season, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Mr. BROUN of . Madam can be proud of this team’s accomplish- Odom, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, and Speaker, on that I demand the yeas ments, the season saw some amazing Trevor Ariza led the 2008–2009 Lakers to and nays. individual milestones. a 65–17 regular season record and the The yeas and nays were ordered. Coach Phil Jackson cemented his number one spot in the Western Con- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- status as one of the winningest coach- ference Playoffs. Not only did Trevor ant to clause 8 of rule XX and the es, not just in the NBA but in all of Ariza help to bring another champion- Chair’s prior announcement, further , capturing an un- ship to Los Angeles, he also attended proceedings on this motion will be precedented 11th championship ring. Westchester High School in my dis- postponed. Truly amazing. trict. Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles The Lakers entered the NBA Playoffs f Lakers, who came to the season as the with home court advantage as a result league’s reigning MVP, coming off a of the team’s regular season perform- b 1930 summer in which he helped lead Team ance, and in the first round of the play- USA to the gold in Beijing, won his offs, the Lakers defeated the Utah Jazz HONORING THE LIFE OF HARRY fourth NBA title and his first NBA in five games to advance to the West- KALAS Finals MVP. ern Conference Semifinals. Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to Pau Gasol of the Lakers was selected The Lakers then faced the suspend the rules and agree to the reso- to his second All-Star appearance, his Rockets in the Western Conference lution (H. Res. 350) honoring the life first as a Laker, and was the first Semifinals, winning seven games, and and accomplishments of Spaniard to be on an NBA title team. advanced to the Western Conference for his invaluable contributions to the Individual accomplishments aside, Finals where they faced the Denver national past-time of , the there is no question that this team was Nuggets. The Lakers clinched the community, and the Nation. just, indeed, that, a team, receiving Western Conference Finals in six The Clerk read the title of the resolu- significant contributions from a host of games, thanks to the outstanding play tion. role players that made winning this by Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant, which The text of the resolution is as fol- championship possible. closed out the series. lows: , acquired as a throw- In the NBA Finals, the Lakers H. RES. 350 in in a midseason , played his way matched up with the , Whereas Harry Kalas, an iconic and be- into the playoff rotation and made a led by . The Lakers won loved sports broadcaster passed away on number of significant three-pointers in the first two games of the Finals in Los April 13, 2009; key playoff games. Angeles, including a hard-fought game Whereas Harry Kalas was born on March Derek Fisher, one of my personal fa- 2, during which Kobe Bryant and Pau 26, 1936, in Naperville, Illinois; vorites, the old veteran guard who was Gasol combined for 53 points, propel- Whereas Harry Kalas is a 1959 graduate of slumping his way through the playoffs, ling the Lakers to a 101–96 victory. The the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech, Radio, and Television; emerged in game 4 of the NBA Finals Lakers lost game 3 in Orlando by a Whereas immediately following gradua- to hit a game-tying three with 4.6 sec- score of 108–104; however, Lakers guard tion, Harry Kalas served in the United onds remaining to push the game into Kobe Bryant scored 31 points and States Army for two years in ; . He followed it up with a go- played all but 8 minutes of the game. Whereas following his service, Harry Kalas ahead 27-footer that would give the The Lakers followed their loss in began his broadcasting career with KGU Lakers the lead and the game. game 3 by winning the next two games Radio broadcasting games for the University Collectively, this team all season in Orlando to win the 2009 NBA cham- of Hawaii and the of the long maintained their commitment to pionship. For his outstanding play dur- AAA ; excellence and mental toughness. They Whereas Harry Kalas was a member of the ing the NBA Finals, Lakers’ guard original broadcast team in were a reflection of the entire organi- Kobe Bryant was presented with the 1965; zation—owner, Jerry Buss; general Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Whereas Harry Kalas joined the Philadel- manager, Mitch Kupchak; Hall of Fame Player Award and his fourth NBA phia Phillies broadcast team in 1971, calling coach, Phil Jackson—and are a model championship. Lakers Head Coach Phil their games for the past 38 years, including of excellence; in other words, they are Jackson won his 10th NBA champion- 26 years with his great friend and Hall of truly champions. ship as a head coach and his 12th NBA Famer ; I urge my colleagues to support this championship overall. Whereas Harry Kalas had diverse talents, resolution. Congratulations to the Lakers play- calling University of Houston football, Southwest Conference basketball, Big Five I reserve the balance of my time. ers, coaches, and staff on winning the basketball, University of Notre Dame foot- Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, at this 2008–2009 NBA championship. ball, and NFL games, throughout his illus- time it gives me great pleasure to yield Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I trious career as well as providing voice-overs 5 minutes to the lead sponsor of this am confident the Utah Jazz will be for NFL films and numerous commercials; resolution, Ms. MAXINE WATERS. back at some point, but for now, con- Whereas Harry Kalas broadcast the open- Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I am gratulations to the Los Angeles ing of the Astrodome, , and very appreciative of my colleague from Lakers. I, too, will be supporting H. Citizen Bank Ballpark; Massachusetts and his leadership on Res. 566. Congratulations. Whereas in 2002, Harry Kalas was the Ford this issue and for recognizing me to C. Frick Award Winner, named after the With that, I yield back the balance of former National League President and Major stand as a proud Los Angeleno, joined my time. League Baseball Commissioner, which is an- by 50 other of my colleagues to con- Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I, as nually bestowed by the National Baseball gratulate the extraordinary Los Ange- well, want to congratulate the Lakers Hall of Fame to a broadcaster for ‘‘major les Lakers for their 2009 NBA cham- and the gentlelady from California. I contributions to baseball’’;

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