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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly 2
Regular Session, 2025 HR 1031 3
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By: Representative Duffield 5
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HOUSE RESOLUTION 8
TO RECOGNIZE SIDNEY MONCRIEF FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO 9
HIS COMMUNITY, THE STATE OF ARKANSAS, AND THE NATION. 10
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Subtitle 13
TO RECOGNIZE SIDNEY MONCRIEF FOR HIS 14
CONTRIBUTIONS TO HIS COMMUNITY, THE 15
STATE OF ARKANSAS, AND THE NATION. 16
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WHEREAS, Sidney Moncrief is one of the greatest basketball players and 18
community leaders in Arkansas history; and 19
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WHEREAS, Sidney Moncrief was born in a housing project in rural western 21
Little Rock on September 21, 1957, and was raised by his mother on her modest 22
salary earned as a cleaning woman at Howard Johnson hotels; and 23
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WHEREAS, despite prior desegregation orders and efforts, Little Rock 25
was still racially segregated in many ways while Sidney Moncrief was growing 26
up in the city; and 27
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WHEREAS, Sidney Moncrief credits membership in a Boy Scouts of America 29
troop and hard work in his family's garden with helping him escape being 30
drawn into a life of crime in his rough neighborhood; and 31
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WHEREAS, Sidney Moncrief began playing basketball in grade seven (7) at 33
Dunbar Junior High School, but did not make the varsity team until grade nine 34
(9) at Booker Junior High School; and 35
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WHEREAS, Sidney Moncrief made the varsity team at Hall High School and, 1
as a senior, was named to several high school All -American teams; and 2
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WHEREAS, Sidney Moncrief was recruited upon his high school graduation 4
by Louisiana State University, Arkansas State University, and the University 5
of Arkansas at Fayetteville, but he chose the University of Arkansas at 6
Fayetteville because of its new coach, Eddie Sutton, who was ushering in 7
novel ideas about how to play the game of basketball; and 8
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WHEREAS, while the six -foot, four-inch (6'4") Sidney Moncrief played 10
basketball at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, his signature 11
playing style with team members Ron Brewer and Marvin Delph earned them the 12
moniker "The Triplets" throughout the nation; and 13
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WHEREAS, in 1977, Sidney Moncrief and his teammates won the Southwest 15
Conference Championship, and in 1978, the team made it to the Final Four 16
bracket of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Championship; and 17
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WHEREAS, in 1979, after the Razorbacks lost a painfully close game to 19
Indiana State University at the National Collegiate Athletic Association 20
Championship, Larry Bird of the Indiana State University team, later to be 21
famed as a power forward for the Boston Celtics, praised Sidney Moncrief as 22
having strength, perfect form, and a great understanding of the game of 23
basketball; and 24
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WHEREAS, Sidney Moncrief was the first basketball player in University 26
of Arkansas at Fayetteville history to have his jersey number retired, and, 27
along with Corliss Williamson, is one (1) of only two (2) basketball players 28
in University of Arkansas at Fayetteville history ever to be so honored; and 29
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WHEREAS, after graduating from the University of Arkansas at 31
Fayetteville in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in physical education, Sidney 32
Moncrief entered the National Basketball Association draft and was chosen 33
fifth overall and as the first -round draft pick of the Milwaukee Bucks; and 34
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WHEREAS, during his ten (10) years playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, 36 HR1031
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Sidney Moncrief averaged sixteen and seven -tenths (16.7) points per game and 1
over fifty percent (50%) in field goal percentage, and he was twice named the 2
National Basketball Association's Defensive Player of the Year; and 3
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WHEREAS, a Milwaukee newspaper poll overwhelmingly ranked Sidney 5
Moncrief as the favorite Milwaukee Bucks player of all time, beating out even 6
such legendary players as Kareem Abdul -Jabbar and Oscar Robertson; and 7
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WHEREAS, legendary professional basketball player Michael Jordan said 9
of Sidney Moncrief, "He'll hound you everywhere you go, both ends of the 10
court. You just expect it"; and 11
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WHEREAS, after coming out of retirement to play one (1) season with the 13
Atlanta Hawks before fully retiring from the National Basketball Association, 14
Sidney Moncrief bought Buick dealerships in North Little Rock and Pine Bluff 15
and also worked for the Dallas Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors, and the 16
Milwaukee Bucks in various coaching capacities; and 17
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WHEREAS, in his professional life after his professional basketball 19
career, Sidney Moncrief also operates the Back 2 Basics All -Star Basketball 20
Academy for youth and coaches to provide skills and wellness training and was 21
the head coach of the Fort Worth Flyers of the National Basketball 22
Developmental League as well as the head coach at the University of Arkansas 23
at Little Rock; and 24
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WHEREAS, Sidney Moncrief has also been part of the broadcast team for 26
the Milwaukee Bucks for Fox Sports Network Wisconsin, and in 2017 he and his 27
wife launched the Moncrief Career Professional Development Center in Little 28
Rock; and 29
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WHEREAS, Sidney Moncrief was elected to the Arkansas Sports Hall of 31
Fame in 1993, the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Naismith 32
Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019; and 33
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WHEREAS, while attending the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, 35
Sidney Moncrief married his wife Debra with whom he has four (4) sons; and 36 HR1031
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WHEREAS, Sidney Moncrief is renowned as an Arkansas community and 2
professional leader, brought great renown to the State of Arkansas through 3
his mastery of the game of basketball, and remains one of the most beloved 4
and respected citizens of the State of Arkansas, 5
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NOW THEREFORE, 7
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY -FIFTH GENERAL 8
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 9
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THAT the House of Representatives recognize Sidney Moncrief for his 11
contributions to his community, the State of Arkansas, and the nation. 12
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT upon adoption, a copy of this resolution be 14
provided to Sidney Moncrief by the Chief Clerk of the House of 15
Representatives. 16
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