Dirk Nowitzki’s place in the pantheon of Dallas-Fort Worth athletes, and in the hearts and minds of fans, could not be more secure. He’s the sixth-leading...
Israeli-American Omri Amrany, one of the world’s foremost sculptors of sports figures, says input from Nowitzki’s wife, Jessica, was a ‘huge contribution’ to final product
To grateful Mavericks fans The Dirk might as well be the David, The Thinker, Great Sphinx and Venus de Milo molded as one, so let’s meet the master sculptor and designer who spent two-plus years creating it: Omri Amrany. Earlier this week Amrany, 68, traveled from his Chicago-area home to oversee installation of The Dirk’s base and statue, and naturally he will be present for Sunday’s ceremony.
Amrany and his wife, Julie Rotblatt-Amrany, have created larger monuments, sports and non-sports alike, that encompassed multiple figures, but the Nowitzki statue and base combination is the tallest that any ofIt’s nearly 24 feet high. The statue portion is more than 12 feet tall. That is bigger than those of Jordan and Johnson and shorter than the Vince Lombardi statue , though the Lombardi base and statue are a combined 21 feet.
“In every sculpture, we try to give personality,” Amrany said. “And I’ve got to say that during one of the discussions we had with Dirk and Jessica, his wife, she had some ideas. I started to incorporate some of her ideas into the piece and I think it was a huge contribution.” Born in Israel to Jewish immigrant parents, Amrany was an Israeli Defense Forces paratrooper from 1972 to 1975. In ensuing years, immersing as artist helped him through post-combat stress disorder.
The pose of Jordan soaring above two defenders, ball extended in his right hand and legs split, accentuates the Amranys’ ability to create art that seems to defy gravity.
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