Bill Text: VA HR32 | 2016 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of Moses Malone.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-4)
Status: (Passed) 2016-01-15 - Bill text as passed House (HR32ER) [HR32 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2016-HR32-Enrolled.html
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WHEREAS, Moses Malone, an accomplished professional basketball player who was named one of the greatest players in the history of the National Basketball Association and who was a beloved sports icon in the Petersburg community, died on September 13, 2015; and WHEREAS, a native of Petersburg, Moses Malone grew up in the Delectable Heights community and was a standout athlete from a young age; at Petersburg High School, he led the Crimson Wave to 50 consecutive wins and back-to-back state titles in 1974 and 1975; and WHEREAS, making history as the first player to enter a professional basketball league directly after high school, Moses Malone joined the Utah Stars in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and quickly earned a reputation as an agile and tenacious center, despite his relatively short height for the position; and WHEREAS, in his first season, Moses Malone averaged 18 points and 14 rebounds per game; he played for the Spirits of St. Louis before joining the Buffalo Braves in the National Basketball Association (NBA) after the league's merger with the ABA; and WHEREAS, Moses Malone went on to play for the Houston Rockets, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Washington Bullets, the Atlanta Hawks, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the San Antonio Spurs, earning three NBA Most Valuable Player awards in 1979, 1982, and 1983; and WHEREAS, in 1983, Moses Malone joined the Philadelphia 76ers and led the team to its first championship in 16 years; the team finished the regular season with a 67 - 15 record and only lost one game in the playoffs, with Moses Malone leading the league in rebounding for the third consecutive year; and WHEREAS, over the course of his 20-season career, Moses Malone averaged 20.6 points and 12.2 rebounds per game, becoming known as the "Chairman of the Boards" for his rebounding skills; he ranks fifth on the NBA's all-time rebounding list with 16,212 rebounds, and eighth on the NBA's all-time points list with 27,409 points; and WHEREAS, Moses Malone was named one of the NBA's 50 greatest players of all time in 1996 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001; in addition, the Houston Rockets retired his number 24 jersey; and WHEREAS, after his well-earned retirement from professional basketball in 1995, Moses Malone returned to the Petersburg area to seek new opportunities to serve the community; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of Moses Malone, a highly admired professional athlete and a proud member of the Petersburg community; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Moses Malone as an expression of the House of Delegates' respect for his memory. |
