| 1 | 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 679 |
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| 2 | 2 | | WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to |
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| 3 | 3 | | recognize Delmer W. Harris for his September 2022 induction into |
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| 4 | 4 | | the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and for a lifetime |
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| 5 | 5 | | of achievement as a player, coach, and executive; and |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, We recognize that Coach Del Harris joined the |
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| 7 | 7 | | Houston Rockets organization as an assistant coach in 1976, |
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| 8 | 8 | | became head coach in 1979, and took the team to the playoffs in |
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| 9 | 9 | | his debut campaign; that set the stage for the 1980-1981 season, |
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| 10 | 10 | | when Houston defeated the defending NBA Champion Los Angeles |
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| 11 | 11 | | Lakers two games to one and the heavily favored San Antonio Spurs |
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| 12 | 12 | | four games to three in the opening rounds of the playoffs; then, |
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| 13 | 13 | | on April 29, 1981, the Rockets defeated the Kansas City Kings |
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| 14 | 14 | | four games to one in the Western Conference Finals; with that |
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| 15 | 15 | | triumph, the Rockets advanced to the NBA Finals for the first |
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| 16 | 16 | | time in franchise history; Harris took on two more NBA head |
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| 17 | 17 | | coaching jobs, leading the Milwaukee Bucks from 1988 through 1992 |
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| 18 | 18 | | and the Los Angeles Lakers from 1995 through 1999, and he was |
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| 19 | 19 | | selected as the 1995 NBA Coach of the Year; along the way, he |
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| 20 | 20 | | mentored legends such as Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes, Shaquille |
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| 21 | 21 | | O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant while directing his teams to 556 career |
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| 22 | 22 | | victories and 11 postseason appearances in 14 seasons; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | WHEREAS, Coach Harris spent more than three decades in the |
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| 24 | 24 | | NBA, including 13 years as an assistant coach, and while serving |
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| 25 | 25 | | in that capacity with the Dallas Mavericks, he helped the team |
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| 26 | 26 | | advance to the 2006 NBA Finals against Miami; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Coach Harris would later join the Texas Legends |
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| 28 | 28 | | developmental league and at age 74 became the oldest head coach |
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| 29 | 29 | | in the history of the NBA system; he is still affiliated with the |
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| 30 | 30 | | Texas Legends as Vice President; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | WHEREAS, Prior to becoming an NBA head coach, Delmer W. |
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| 32 | 32 | | Harris was an All-Conference and All-American basketball player |
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| 33 | 33 | | at Milligan University; he went on to join the coaching ranks and |
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| 34 | 34 | | worked in a variety of capacities, including overseeing the |
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| 35 | 35 | | Earlham College basketball program for nine years, coaching |
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| 36 | 36 | | teams internationally, and serving as an assistant for the Utah |
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| 37 | 37 | | Stars in the American Basketball Association; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | WHEREAS, In recognition of his many accomplishments in the |
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| 39 | 39 | | sport of basketball, he was honored with the 2020 Chuck Daly |
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| 40 | 40 | | Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches |
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| 41 | 41 | | Association; moreover, he is a renowned clinician and lecturer |
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| 42 | 42 | | who has authored numerous articles and books; and |
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| 43 | 43 | | WHEREAS, As his Naismith Hall-of-Fame bio reads, Coach |
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| 44 | 44 | | Harris is an "innovator and a believer, a man of faith who stayed |
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| 45 | 45 | | true to basketball's most fundamental principles while adapting |
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| 46 | 46 | | the game to fit his personnel"; and |
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| 47 | 47 | | WHEREAS, As a resident of Frisco, Del Harris has given back |
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| 48 | 48 | | to the community through his involvement with the Del and Ann |
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| 49 | 49 | | Harris Foundation for the Promotion of Christian Principles; and |
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| 50 | 50 | | WHEREAS, In 2023, the Houston Rockets are celebrating the |
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| 51 | 51 | | 42nd anniversary of their inaugural appearance in the NBA Finals |
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| 52 | 52 | | in 1981, and the Dallas Mavericks are celebrating the 17th |
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| 53 | 53 | | anniversary of their inaugural appearance in the NBA Finals in |
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| 54 | 54 | | 2006, and this occasion offers a particularly fitting |
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| 55 | 55 | | opportunity to pay tribute to Coach Harris for his role with two |
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| 56 | 56 | | Texas NBA franchises and to salute the other highlights of his |
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| 57 | 57 | | career; and |
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| 58 | 58 | | WHEREAS, Through a lifetime of achievement, Del Harris has |
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| 59 | 59 | | left an indelible mark on the sport of basketball, and it is |
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| 60 | 60 | | indeed a pleasure to join in recognizing this revered coach and |
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| 61 | 61 | | mentor; now, therefore, be it |
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| 62 | 62 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th |
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| 63 | 63 | | Legislature, hereby honor Delmer W. Harris for helping the |
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| 64 | 64 | | Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks advance to the NBA Finals |
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| 65 | 65 | | and for his many other contributions to the sport of basketball; |
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| 66 | 66 | | and, be it further |
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| 67 | 67 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be |
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| 68 | 68 | | prepared for Coach Del Harris as an expression of high regard |
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| 69 | 69 | | from the Texas Senate. |
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| 70 | 70 | | Paxton |
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| 71 | 71 | | ________________________________ |
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| 72 | 72 | | President of the Senate |
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| 73 | 73 | | I hereby certify that the |
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| 74 | 74 | | above Resolution was adopted by |
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| 75 | 75 | | the Senate on May 25, 2023. |
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| 76 | 76 | | ________________________________ |
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| 77 | 77 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 78 | 78 | | ________________________________ |
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| 79 | 79 | | Member, Texas Senate |
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