Senate Honors Lisbon Native Rick Carlisle on Nba Title

Mavericks Coach Joins Rare Club of NBAers With Rings as Both Player and Coach

The State Senate today honored St. Lawrence County native Rick Carlisle for leading the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA championship—and his second professional basketball title.

The Senate on Wednesday approved a formal resolution recognizing Carlisle for his accomplishments.

Carlisle hails from Lisbon, where he was a regular sight on the hardwood and blacktop courts of his youth. His parents continue to reside there.

“I’ve had the privilege to watch Rick Carlisle from his earliest years as a scrappy ball handler on the courts of St. Lawrence County to his career as champion player and coach,” said Senator Ritchie. “St. Lawrence County and all of Northern New York is very proud of the achievements of our native son, and I am especially proud to recognize his accomplishments on the floor of the New York State Senate.”

Carlisle, the son of Preston and Joan Carlisle, grew up in Lisbon and attended the University of Maine and the University of Virginia, where he was co-captain of his college team.

He was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1984, and played alongside Larry Byrd and other NBA legends to win the 1986 championship.

He was named head coach of the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers, and took the helm for the Mavericks in 2008.

By winning the 2011 NBA Championship, Carlisle became one of fewer than a dozen people who have won rings both as a player and a coach, joining the likes of other NBA greats like Phil Jackson, KC Jones and Bill Russell.

“Rick Carlisle has inspired a generation of great basketball players, as well as friends and former neighbors back home who have watched him grow and succeed,” Senator Ritchie said. “All New Yorkers can join in congratulating him on his personal achievement.”

A copy of the Senate resolution is available at this link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/57918143/0615-carlisle-reso.

Video of Senator Ritchie is availible at this link: http://www.nysenate.gov/video/2011/jun/15/state-senate-today-honored-st-lawrence-county-native-rick-carlisle