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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 685
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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 |
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this occasion presents a welcome opportunity to recognize not |
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only his remarkable athletic achievements but also his stellar |
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record of 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 |
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devastating outside jump shot and his equally adept skills in |
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driving to the basket, artfully avoiding defenders, and |
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successfully finishing a play with his trademark finger-roll |
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layup; in honor of his singular accomplishments, the university |
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retired his jersey in 1986 and inducted him into the university's |
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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 |
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during his four-year tenure in the ABA, he established a |
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reputation as an unstoppable offensive force on the hardwood and |
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earned All-Star status three times; he also received the nickname |
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"Iceman" for his extraordinarily consistent production and |
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on-court demeanor and his clutch performances when the game was |
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on the line; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1974, Mr. Gervin was acquired by the San |
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Antonio Spurs, and after the franchise joined the National |
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Basketball Association in 1976, he helped lead the team to five |
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division titles over nine years; moreover, he garnered All-Star |
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honors nine consecutive times and received the Most Valuable |
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Player Award for his outstanding performance in the 1980 All-Star |
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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 |
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field goals made and attempted, free throws made, rebounds, |
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assists, steals, and blocked shots; in addition, he is one of |
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only three players in league history to win at least four scoring |
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titles, along with Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain, and ranks |
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in the top 50 of all-time NBA scoring leaders; the Spurs retired |
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his number 44 jersey in December 1987, and he is one of only six |
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San Antonio players to ever receive that honor; and |
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WHEREAS, Since his retirement, Mr. Gervin has been |
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accorded a host of other prestigious accolades; in 1996, he |
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became the first Spurs player to be inducted into the Naismith |
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Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and he was also one of the |
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inaugural inductees of the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame and |
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was selected for inclusion in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame; |
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moreover, he has been named one of the 50 greatest players in |
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league history by the NBA, earning his rightful place in a |
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pantheon of basketball legends whose exploits have helped shape |
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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, |
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and 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 |
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benefited the city as the founder of the George Gervin Youth |
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Center, an institution dedicated to helping educate local kids, |
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assisting senior citizens with finding quality affordable |
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housing, and providing young adults with the necessary resources |
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to become productive members of the community; and |
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WHEREAS, George Gervin built one of the most storied |
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careers in Spurs franchise history and has continued to give back |
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to the local community ever since, and he is indeed deserving of |
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special recognition; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th |
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Legislature, hereby congratulate George "Iceman" Gervin on his |
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65th birthday and extend to him sincere best wishes for the |
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future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for |
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Mr. Gervin as an expression of high regard from the Texas Senate. |
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Menéndez, Campbell, |
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Uresti, Zaffirini |
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Bettencourt |
Hinojosa |
Perry |
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Birdwell |
Huffines |
Rodríguez |
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Buckingham |
Huffman |
Schwertner |
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Creighton |
Kolkhorst |
Taylor of Collin |
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Estes |
Lucio |
Taylor of Galveston |
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Patrick, President of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on April 26, 2017. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |