Senate Resolution 4

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING DETROIT PISTONS AND FORMER JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL STAR LINDSEY HUNTER, JR., FOR WINNING HIS SECOND NBA TITLE.

WHEREAS, for NBA guard and former Jackson State University standout player Lindsey Benson Hunter, Jr., spending extra time in the gym with his Detroit Piston teammates resulted in his second NBA championship title, as the Pistons easily beat the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2004 NBA Title, winning 4 out of 5 games in the Finals; and

WHEREAS, Hunter, now an 11-year veteran of the National Basketball Association, won his second NBA championship ring, this time seeing the franchise who gave him his first ring on the opposite sideline; and

WHEREAS, Hunter concluded his brilliant collegiate career by establishing several JSU records and garnering numerous award and honors. The honorable mention All-American led the SWAC in scoring averaging 26.7 points per game during his senior season. His 907 points scored is still a school season record. He concluded the season being named MVP of both the regular season and the post-season conference tournament. His 48 points against the University of Kansas in the Aloha Classic is a single-game school record. He received the John McClendon Award for being named the Black College Player of the Year in 1993. Hunter scored 2,226 points (second on the JSU all-time scoring list) during his three-year career as a Tiger; and

WHEREAS, he scored 30 or more points six times in 1992 with a 42-point effort against Southern in an opening round SWAC Tournament game. During his sophomore year, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament in Houston, Texas. That season he average 20.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game; and

WHEREAS, in the NBA, Hunter has a career average of 10.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.35 steals per game. He has played for four teams, including the world champion L.A. Lakers during the 2001-2002 season. He had a career high of 35 points against New Jersey in November of 1997. He also handed out 15 assists against the Nets in March of 1994. He broke into the staring lineup during his rookie season of 1993 and has started more than 50% of his games in the professional league. He was named to the 1993-1994 NBA All-Rookie Second Team after averaging 10.3 ppg and 4.8 apg in 82 games and participated in the Schick Rookie Game during the 1994 NBA All-Star Weekend in Minneapolis, posting 11 points and 5 assists; and

WHEREAS, in 2002-2003, Lindsey averaged 9.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 23.2 minutes in a career-low 29 games; missed 53 games due to injury; missed last 38 games (January 26 - April 16) with a sore back; returned to action vs. Orlando on 1/19, scoring 7 points in a bench-high 28 minutes after missing 3 games (January 14 - 17) due to a sore right hamstring; recorded a season-high 7 assists vs. Cleveland (1/3); led bench with 14 points at L.A. Lakers (12/29); led team in bench scoring with 14 points at Chicago (12/18); produced 18 points off the bench, including a triple with 1.5 seconds left to send the game into overtime and scored 7 points in the extra frame at Milwaukee (12/17); netted a team-high 22 points off the bench vs. Washington (12/15); scored a game-high tying 21 points in 22 minutes off the bench vs. Seattle (12/13); missed 11 games (November 18 - December 8) due to a sore right knee and recorded a season-high 7 rebounds upon his return at Cleveland (12/11); netted a season-high 23 points vs. Chicago (11/4), including the game-winning field goal with 1.6 seconds remaining in overtime; and

WHEREAS, Lindsey Benson Hunter, Jr. and his wife Ivy have two children. He lists former Pistons' Captain Isiah Thomas as one of his heroes growing up. An Elementary Education major at Jackson State, he aspires to eventually teach school in Mississippi and he is on the Board of Directors of Daybreak Homeless Shelter in Jackson, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize the accomplishments of this former JSU standout who has brought honor to his university and to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend and congratulate Detroit Pistons and former Jackson State University Basketball star Lindsey Hunter, Jr., for winning his second NBA title, and extend to him and his family the best wishes of the Senate in his future professional basketball endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be forwarded to Lindsey Hunter and JSU President Ronald Mason, and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.