Privileged Resolution 020443

..Title Honoring Coach Larry Brown on his induction to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. ..Body WHEREAS, Larry Brown began his professional coaching career in 1972 with the Carolina Cougars of the old ABA utilizing a coaching knowledge gleaned from a host of coaching mentors, most notably Coach Dean Smith, who will present Larry, a North Carolina alum, at the formal Hall of Fame induction ceremony on September 27, 2002; and WHEREAS, After spending five years as coach of the ABA/NBA Denver Nuggets, Coach Brown took his first collegiate head coaching job with UCLA in 1979 and lead the Bruins to the championship game in his first year; and WHEREAS, Coach Brown took his first collegiate head coaching job with UCLA in 1979 after spending five years as coach of the Denver Nuggets, leading the Bruins to the championship game in his first year; and WHEREAS, After coaching the New Jersey Nets for two seasons, Coach Brown returned to the collegiate ranks at the University of Kansas, where the Jayhawks would win the 1988 NCAA championship with a stunning upset over rival Oklahoma; and WHEREAS, Over the next nine years, Coach Brown would spend time coaching San Antonio, Los Angeles, and Indiana, leading all 3 teams to the playoffs. Larry was named head coach and president of basketball operations of the Philadelphia 76ers on May 5, 1997; and WHEREAS, Coach Brown has compiled an impressive list of credentials during his 30 year coaching career, 26 of those years finishing with a winning record; and WHEREAS, Coach can also include these accolades on his resume: NBA Coach of the Year in 2001; member of the gold medal U.S. basketball team in the 2000 Olympics, making Larry the only U.S. male to both play and coach in the Olympics; three-time ABA All Star and three-time ABA Coach of the Year; winning coach of the 2001 NBA All Star game and first NBA coach to guide six different teams to the playoffs. Coach Brown is now ninth on the all time coaching victory chart, fourth among active coaches. He also made his first appearance in the NBA Finals with the Sixers in 2001, capping a wildly successful season; and WHEREAS, Throughout his extensive career, Coach has had the loving support of his mother, his biggest fan, and also wife Shelly and daughters Madison, Kristen, Alli, and Melissa, not to mention coach of the future, son L.J.; now therefore RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby honor and commend Coach Larry Brown on his induction to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Coach Brown as evidence of the sincere respect and admiration of this legislative body. ..End