HR0474 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0474 LRB097 12499 KXB 56983 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to recognize Shawn "The Matrix" Marion, formerly from North Chicago and Waukegan, now of the NBA team the Dallas Mavericks, for his many accomplishments; and

WHEREAS, Hailing from North Chicago and Waukegan, Shawn Dwayne Marion, who currently plays for The Dallas Mavericks, is widely regarded as one of the most versatile players in the NBA; Shawn was nicknamed "The Matrix" by TNT analyst Kenny Smith during the pre-season of his rookie year for his seemingly bionic athleticism; and

WHEREAS, As a child, Shawn grew up in a single parent home with his 3 sisters; his mother, Elaine, is the person that he admires most because of how strong she was raising him and his sisters in a single parent household; his memories of childhood led to the formation of the Shawn Marion Foundation, which assists single-parent families through vocational training and adult scholarships in an effort to help and inspire people who are experiencing situations similar to those Shawn went through as a child; and

WHEREAS, After high school Shawn played collegiate basketball at Vincennes University, a junior college in Indiana, before transferring to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas where he majored in Communications and was drafted in the first round and ninth overall in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns; showing explosive scoring potential and double-digit rebounding ability by his sophomore season, he was selected to the Western Conference All-Star team for the first time in the 2002-03 season; and

WHEREAS, In 2004, he was selected to the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team; in 2005, he was named a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star Team and selected to the 2004-05 All-NBA Third Team; that year, he became the first player since David Robinson to average in the top 5 in rebounding and steals since the league began tracking steals in 1973, a feat he repeated in 2005-06; and

WHEREAS, The 2005-06 NBA season was perhaps the best season of his career; he was the only player in the NBA ranked in the top 20 in points, rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, and minutes; he finished the season leading the Suns in points per game (21.8), rebounds per game (11.8), blocks per game (1.7), and steals per game (2.0); he also ranked 3rd in efficiency and earned a spot in the NBA All-Star Game for the third time; and

WHEREAS, On July 9, 2009, he signed a 5-year, $39 million contract and was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks as part of a four-team swap; he wears the number 0 on his jersey; and

WHEREAS, He pledged $1 million to the Valley of the Sun United Way, which has gone for cancer research, building basketball courts, and supporting the Jr. Suns and Jr. Mercury basketball programs; he helped unveil the renovation of the City of Hialeah's Miami HEAT Learn and Play Center at Bucky Dent Gymnasium in March of 2008 and regularly participates in NBA charity games, including several appearances in Zo's Summer Groove and in the inaugural Steve Nash Foundation Charity Classic; and

WHEREAS, He was one of several NBA players and Hollywood celebrities to visit U.S. and coalition troops in Kuwait as part of Project Salute 2003; in September of that year he also had a basketball court named and dedicated in his honor at the Carl Hayden Community Center in Phoenix; after basketball, he would like to travel around the world, coach high school basketball, and start his own business; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize Shawn Marion for all his work both on and off the basketball courts and for his work helping others; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Shawn "The Matrix" Marion as a symbol of our respect and esteem.