H. Con. Res. 497
Agreed to December 7, 2006
One Hundred Ninth Congress
of the
United States of America 
AT THE SECOND SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, 
the third day of January, two thousand and six 
Concurrent Resolution
Whereas Arnold ‘‘Red’’ Auerbach was born on September 20, 1917, 
in Brooklyn, New York, the son of immigrants from Minsk, 
Russia;
Whereas Red started playing basketball as a public school student 
in Brooklyn and later became a star guard for Eastern District 
High School, making all-scholastic second team in his senior 
year;
Whereas Red started his coaching career at St. Albans Prep School 
and Roosevelt High School in Washington, D.C., before serving 
in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946;
Whereas, in 1946, Red began his professional coaching career with 
the Washington Capitols in the Basketball Association of America 
(BAA) and led the team to the 1947 and 1949 division titles, 
joining the Boston Celtics as coach in 1950 after the BAA merged 
with the National Basketball Association (NBA);
Whereas Red’s record of success on the basketball court and in 
the Celtics’ front office is unmatched;
Whereas during Red’s leadership of the Boston Celtics, the team 
won 16 NBA championships, including 9 championships, with 
a record 8 in a row, during Red’s tenure as coach;
Whereas when Red retired from coaching in 1966 to become general 
manager of the Celtics, he was the winningest coach in NBA 
history with 1,037 victories and had won almost two-thirds of 
the games he had coached over a 20-year NBA coaching career;
Whereas during his nearly 57-year tenure with the Celtics as Head 
Coach, General Manager, Vice Chairman of the Board, and Presi-
dent, Red was the architect of one of the greatest dynasties 
in the history of professional sports;
Whereas Red infused the Celtics organization with the values of 
teamwork, respect, tenacity, and loyalty, creating a culture known 
as ‘‘Celtic Pride’’ that will be forever associated with the Boston 
Celtics franchise;
Whereas Red’s imprint on the Celtics, the NBA, and the game 
of basketball is permanent and visible today in innovations that 
Red developed, including the ‘‘sixth man’’ role and fast break 
style of play;
Whereas Red was an effective and tireless ambassador for the 
game of basketball, both in the United States and overseas, 
conducting clinics, barnstorming with the Celtics, starring in 
the successful television series ‘‘Red on Roundball’’, writing 7
H. Con. Res. 497—2
books on basketball, including the influential ‘‘Basketball For 
The Player, The Coach, and The Fan’’, and participating with 
Celtic great and Hall of Famer Larry Bird in the instructional 
video, ‘‘Winning Basketball’’;
Whereas Red received numerous awards and honors in recognition 
of his extraordinary achievements, such as selection as the NBA 
Coach of the Year in 1965, induction into the Naismith Memorial 
Basketball Hall of Fame in 1969, designation as the NBA ‘‘Execu-
tive of the Year’’ in 1980, and selection as ‘‘The Greatest Coach 
in the History of the NBA’’ by the Professional Basketball Writers’ 
Association of America in 1980;
Whereas Red’s lighting of his cigar in the closing moments of 
an imminent Celtics’ victory became an enduring symbol of suc-
cess in Boston and around the world;
Whereas Red’s legacy extends beyond the game of basketball and 
includes his important contributions to the advancement of a 
colorblind society through his decision to draft the NBA’s first 
African-American player, Chuck Cooper, in 1950, hire the first 
African-American head coach in professional sports, Bill Russell, 
in 1966, and field the first starting lineup in the NBA consisting 
entirely of African-American players in 1964; and
Whereas the name ‘‘Red Auerbach’’ will forever be synonymous 
with winning, intensity, integrity, and charitable causes: Now, 
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concur-
ring), That it is the sense of Congress that—
(1) Arnold ‘‘Red’’ Auerbach was a basketball genius who 
embodied the values of creativity, determination, versatility, 
and commitment to helping the less fortunate; 
(2) Red Auerbach was a leader in the effort to remove 
racial barriers and allow merit to prevail in professional sports, 
through his decisions to draft, hire, and prominently feature 
African-Americans on the Boston Celtics basketball team; and
H. Con. Res. 497—3
(3) Red Auerbach’s place among the greatest coaches and 
executives of all time is assured, his contributions to the better-
ment of society will always endure, and his life exemplifies 
the very best ideals of the United States.
Attest:
Clerk of the House of Representatives.
Attest:
Secretary of the Senate.