Congratulating the San Antonio Spurs for winning the 2005 National Basketball Association Championship.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 339, which honors the newly crowned champions of the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have just won their third title in seven years. In a hard fought victory, the Spurs eventually triumphed over the defending NBA champions the Detroit Pistons in a back and forth series that culminated in a decisive seventh game. I must also honor the spirit of the Detroit Pistons who did not quit after the Spurs routed them in the first two games nor when the Spurs won the crucial game five. Even though the Pistons very reluctantly surrendered the title, they pushed the series to the full seven games, the first NBA finals to go the distance in 11 years.

Every significant structure must have a sound and strong foundation, and the Spurs are the model of stability in professional sports as the principal owners, Peter and Julianna Holt, allow the people they hire to run the team without interference. Coach Greg Popovich and General Manager R.C. Buford have created an atmosphere that fosters the

spirit of winning basketball and epitomizes the ideals of teamwork, cooperation, and the axiom that the whole is more than the sum of the parts. It is a style that demands sharing the ball, team defense, relentless effort and, above all, selfless play.

Moreover, the international composition of the team reflects the increasingly diversified, more tightly knit world in which we live. General Manager, R.C. Buford, spends a great deal of his time in gyms all over the world looking for the next Manu Ginobili, the Argentine swingman whose acrobatic drives into the lane electrified fans and dazzled the opposition. Given the range of languages and cultures of the Spurs, Coach Popovich has done an amazing job of integrating his players into a formidable and cohesive whole.

Mr. Speaker, I agree with San Antonio native Dean Aguillen, a die- hard Spurs fan and one of my constituents, when he says that ``The greatness of the Spurs players who hail from Argentina, the Virgin Islands, France, Slovenia, New Zealand, and from across the U.S. have made San Antonio the capital of the international basketball world.''

Naturally, the city of San Antonio has longed embraced the Spurs and considers them family. Spurs basketball suits the Alamo City as a place where substance matters much more than style and people hold others to their words. When the Spurs say they will give their all, they do. So, it is never a surprise when the colors of silver and black sweep the city come springtime as the Spurs work deeper and deeper into the playoffs.

So, I would like to honor Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Bruce Bowen, Nazr Mohammed, Rasho Nesterovic, Robert Horry, Devin Brown, Beno Udrih, Brent Barry, and Tony Massenburg. I would also like to recognize Greg Popovich who has now moved into elite coaching company with his third title.

The Spurs truly embody our national motto, e pluribus unum, which of course means out of the many come one. All of San Antonio is very proud of the Spurs and of this momentous accomplishment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the San Antonio Spurs for winning their third National Basketball Association Championship in seven years. The 2005 World Champion Spurs deserve recognition for this achievement, and the class and sportsmanship they displayed in victory.

The Spurs won their third championship against a most worthy opponent, the tough and determined defending champion Detroit Pistons. In this seven-game series, both the Spurs and the Pistons blew each other out for two games apiece, but in the last three games each team showed the championship-caliber mettle that made this series a classic.

The Spurs displayed the skills, determination, and courage to overcome an opponent displaying the same qualities and playing with the same philosophy. This provided for scintillating games five, six, and seven, in which each team would give no ground, and the winner deserved the victory.

This final, championship round featured two juggernauts of team defense, and the results showcased the simple beauty of the game the focus not strictly on the hype of individual scoring and acrobatic plays. The pride and joy of the Spurs and Coach Gregg Popovich is cohesive and tenacious defense that takes victory for its own.

The San Antonio Spurs are champions not only on the court, but off. The Spurs are the paragon of professionalism and teamwork, and while this may not sell for the casual fan, it sells very well for the fans in San Antonio and South Texas who admire these values. The San Antonio Spurs are both a vital member of the community and a community concept viewed with pride by all San Antonians.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to enter the names of these champions into the Record: Tim Duncan; Manu Ginobili; Tony Parker; Bruce Bowen; Nazr Mohammed; Robert Horry; Brent Barry; Devin Brown; Rasho Nesterovic; Beno Udrih; Tony Massenburg; Glenn Robinson; Head Coach Gregg Popovich, and Chairman Peter Holt.

I congratulate them on this momentous victory, and thank them for the pride and happiness they bring to all San Antonio.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding achievement of the San Antonio Spurs and congratulate them for winning the 2005 National Basketball Association Championship on June 23. This is the third time in the past five years that National Championship trophy has come home to San Antonio. This was a dramatic seven game series against the Detroit Pistons, and hard fought at every step along the way. Under the guidance of Coach Greg Popovich, the Spurs' Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Robert Horry, Bruce Bowen, Nazr Mohammed, Brent Barry, Beno Udrih, Rasho Nesterovic, Glenn Robinson, Devin Brown, and Tony Massenburg played valiantly to bring the NBA trophy back home to the fans of San Antonio. In fact, Tim Duncan earned recognition as the final's most valuable player for the third time due to his performance, leadership and character. In life it's not just whether you win, it's how you play the game. America has seen how the Spurs are a true team of character, no ball hogs, no billboard tattoos, no nose rings. It is a team that worked like a well oiled machine. No longer can anyone in the NBA say ``nice guys finish last''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Government Reform be discharged from further consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 339) congratulating the San Antonio Spurs for winning the 2005 National Basketball Association Championship, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution congratulates the San Antonio Spurs--and especially, 3-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Tim Duncan, the pride of Wake Forest University, which is located in my district--for winning the 2005 NBA championship.