Senate Concurrent Resolution 16 Oregon Laws 2009

AN ACT

          Whereas the Portland Trail Blazers won 54 games during the 2008-2009 season, the sixth-most regular season victories in franchise history; and

          Whereas team President Larry Miller and General Manager Kevin Pritchard have overseen tremendous growth in the Trail Blazers business and have helped restore the Trail Blazers as one of the premier franchises in all of professional sports; and

          Whereas the Portland Trail Blazers, with players LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Jerryd Bayless, Steve Blake, Rudy Fernandez, Channing Frye, Raef LaFrentz, Greg Oden, Travis Outlaw, Joel Przybilla, Shavlik Randolph, Sergio Rodriguez, Brandon Roy, Michael Ruffin and Martell Webster, are the second-youngest team in the National Basketball Association; and

          Whereas the Trail Blazers were cochampions of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference; and

          Whereas the Trail Blazers reached the NBA playoffs for the first time in six years and were the fourth seed in the Western Conference; and

          Whereas Trail Blazers star Brandon Roy led the team in scoring, assists and steals, scored 52 points against the Phoenix Suns, was chosen to participate in the NBA all-star game and was named to the prestigious All-NBA Second Team; and

          Whereas Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan was named the Western Conference Coach of the Month for April 2009; and

          Whereas Trail Blazers games at the Rose Garden have been sold out 71 consecutive times and have excited and energized fans in Portland and the State of Oregon; and

          Whereas approximately 15,000 fans attended a playoff rally for the Trail Blazers held at Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square; and

          Whereas the Trail Blazers won the prestigious 2008 Turnkey PRISM award from the Isenberg School of Management of the University of Massachusetts Amherst for best professional sports franchise and have launched the “Make It Better” community outreach initiative; and

          Whereas the Trail Blazers continue to make progress toward their goal of bringing another NBA championship to Portland and the State of Oregon; and

          Whereas Blazermania is back; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon:

          That we, the members of the Seventy-fifth Legislative Assembly, congratulate the Portland Trail Blazers players and organization for an exciting and successful season both on and off the basketball court.

Filed in the office of Secretary of State June 24, 2009

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