88R32966 JRI-F
By: Paxton S.R. No. 679
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
recognize Delmer W. Harris for his September 2022 induction into
the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and for a lifetime of
achievement as a player, coach, and executive; and
WHEREAS, We recognize that Coach Del Harris joined the
Houston Rockets organization as an assistant coach in 1976, became
head coach in 1979, and took the team to the playoffs in his debut
campaign; that set the stage for the 1980-1981 season, when Houston
defeated the defending NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers two games to
one and the heavily favored San Antonio Spurs four games to three in
the opening rounds of the playoffs; then, on April 29, 1981, the
Rockets defeated the Kansas City Kings four games to one in the
Western Conference Finals; with that triumph, the Rockets advanced
to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history; Harris
took on two more NBA head coaching jobs, leading the Milwaukee Bucks
from 1988 through 1992 and the Los Angeles Lakers from 1995 through
1999, and he was selected as the 1995 NBA Coach of the Year; along
the way, he mentored legends such as Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes,
Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant while directing his teams to 556
career victories and 11 postseason appearances in 14 seasons; and
WHEREAS, Coach Harris spent more than three decades in the
NBA, including 13 years as an assistant coach, and while serving in
that capacity with the Dallas Mavericks, he helped the team advance
to the 2006 NBA Finals against Miami; and
WHEREAS, Coach Harris would later join the Texas Legends
developmental league and at age 74 became the oldest head coach in
the history of the NBA system; he is still affiliated with the Texas
Legends as Vice President; and
WHEREAS, Prior to becoming an NBA head coach, Delmer W.
Harris was an All-Conference and All-American basketball player at
Milligan University; he went on to join the coaching ranks and
worked in a variety of capacities, including overseeing the Earlham
College basketball program for nine years, coaching teams
internationally, and serving as an assistant for the Utah Stars in
the American Basketball Association; and
WHEREAS, In recognition of his many accomplishments in the
sport of basketball, he was honored with the 2020 Chuck Daly
Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches
Association; moreover, he is a renowned clinician and lecturer who
has authored numerous articles and books; and
WHEREAS, As his Naismith Hall-of-Fame bio reads, Coach Harris
is an "innovator and a believer, a man of faith who stayed true to
basketball's most fundamental principles while adapting the game to
fit his personnel"; and
WHEREAS, As a resident of Frisco, Del Harris has given back to
the community through his involvement with the Del and Ann Harris
Foundation for the Promotion of Christian Principles; and
WHEREAS, In 2023, the Houston Rockets are celebrating the
42nd anniversary of their inaugural appearance in the NBA Finals in
1981, and the Dallas Mavericks are celebrating the 17th anniversary
of their inaugural appearance in the NBA Finals in 2006, and this
occasion offers a particularly fitting opportunity to pay tribute
to Coach Harris for his role with two Texas NBA franchises and to
salute the other highlights of his career; and
WHEREAS, Through a lifetime of achievement, Del Harris has
left an indelible mark on the sport of basketball, and it is indeed
a pleasure to join in recognizing this revered coach and mentor;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature
hereby honor Delmer W. Harris for helping the Houston Rockets and
Dallas Mavericks advance to the NBA Finals and for his many other
contributions to the sport of basketball; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Coach Del Harris as an expression of high regard by the
Texas Senate.