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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 566 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 566

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                         July 23, 2009.
Whereas the Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most successful and respected 
        franchises in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA);
Whereas prior to the 2008-2009 season, the Lakers won 14 NBA championships, with 
        a cast of players that, over the years, have included NBA greats such as 
        Wilt Chamberlain, Earvin ``Magic'' Johnson, Jr., James Worthy, Kareem 
        Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Michael Cooper, Elgin Baylor, A.C. 
        Green, and other Lakers stars, whose accomplishments were captured 
        courtside by legendary Lakers sportscaster Francis Dayle ``Chick/Chicky 
        Baby'' Hearn;
Whereas in the off-season, the Lakers' General Manager, Mitch Kupchak, with the 
        support of the team's owner, Jerry Buss, maintained the Lakers core of 
        Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, and Trevor Ariza;
Whereas the combination of Bryant, Odom, Fisher, Gasol, and Ariza, led the 2008-
        2009 Lakers to a 65-17 regular season record and the number one spot in 
        the Western Conference playoffs;
Whereas Ariza first came to fame as a member of the 2002 and 2003 California 
        State Championship teams at Westchester High School in Los Angeles, 
        California;
Whereas the Lakers entered the NBA playoffs with home court advantage as a 
        result of the team's regular season performance and defeated the Utah 
        Jazz in 5 games;
Whereas the Lakers then faced the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference 
        semifinals, winning in 7 games, with Pau Gasol scoring 21 points in an 
        89-70 victory in the deciding game;
Whereas the Lakers squared off against the high-octane Denver Nuggets, clinching 
        the series in 6 games, thanks to the outstanding play of Pau Gasol and 
        Kobe Bryant;
Whereas the Lakers' matchup with the Orlando Magic in the NBA finals represented 
        a battle between a veteran team, the Lakers, and a young Magic team, led 
        by Dwight Howard;
Whereas the Lakers won the first 2 games of the finals in Los Angeles, including 
        a hard-fought Game 2, during which Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol combined 
        for 53 points, propelling the Lakers to a 101-96 victory;
Whereas although the Lakers lost Game 3 in Orlando by a score of 108-104, NBA 
        fans were treated to a 31-point performance by Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, 
        who played all but 8 minutes of the game;
Whereas the Lakers were able to defeat the Magic in Game 4 despite a 25-point 
        performance by Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu;
Whereas the Lakers won Game 5 against the Magic by a final score of 99-86, 
        clinching a historic championship, Kobe Bryant's first championship 
        without Shaquille O'Neal, Head Coach Phil Jackson's 10th title as a 
        coach, and the Lakers organization's 15th championship;
Whereas the Lakers recovered from a devastating loss in the 2008 NBA finals 
        against the Boston Celtics to win the 2009 NBA championship and achieve 
        historic championships for Head Coach Phil Jackson, and Kobe Bryant;
Whereas the Lakers' Kobe Bryant was presented with the Bill Russell NBA Finals 
        Most Valuable Player Award;
Whereas in addition to the contributions of superstars Bryant, Gasol, and Odom, 
        strong contributions by Ariza, Brown, Farmar, Ilunga-Mbenga, Bynum, 
        Fisher, Powell, Vujacic, and Walton returned the glory that has marked 
        much of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise history;
Whereas Lakers owner Jerry Buss, General Manager Mitch Kupchak, Head Coach Phil 
        Jackson, and the entire roster and coaching staff have joined previous 
        great Lakers teams in winning the NBA championship; and
Whereas the hustle, team defense, and overall unselfish play of the 2008-2009 
        Lakers are emblematic of the tradition that has been a hallmark of the 
        franchise for more than 63 years, and serves as a model for coaches and 
        players everywhere: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
            (1) the 2008-2009 National Basketball Association (NBA) World 
        Champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, are to be congratulated for an 
        outstanding and historic season; and
            (2) the Lakers, in winning their 15th NBA World Championship, capped 
        a remarkable, unprecedented single-season turnaround that captivated 
        basketball fans across America and around the world.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.
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