Blocked at the Rim: Roselle Park Mayor and Council Discontinue Plans for Rick Barry Statue

ROSELLE PARK, NJ — Plans to construct a statue of basketball icon Rick Barry have rimmed out. Mayor and Council were hoping to immortalize the Roselle Park legend, but ultimately, the financial demands of the task were deemed too excessive.

Plans for a statue were first announced during a Mayor and Council meeting in April. Residents questioned the hefty $150,000 price tag that the statue carried, and signs of relief could be heard in the room when Mayor Joe Signorello announced that plans for the statue had been discontinued.

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"The Rick Barry statue is dead," the mayor said plainly. "I know some people are going to be happy about that."

Barry, who attended Roselle Park High School, is one of the most prolific basketball players of all time. He earned All-State honors for the Panthers as a junior and senior in basketball and baseball. As a high schooler, Barry struggled at the free-throw line, prompting him to switch to his now iconic "underhand toss" style of free-throw shooting, where he shot nearly 90% during his NBA career. After dominating in college, he amassed a near innumerable collection of accolades throughout his professional career, winning the NBA championship, NBA Finals MVP, NBA Rookie of the Year and was an eight-time All-Star selection and a five-time NBA First Team selection. He was inducted into both the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame for his accomplishments.

Unfortunately, he will not be able to count a statue in Roselle Park among those honors — at least not yet.

Read more Government news from around Roselle Park here:

• Mobile MVC Clinic Returns to Roselle Park in July
• Roselle Park Borough Hall Summer Hours In Effect July 1
• Bulk Waste Pickup in Roselle Park Resumes This Week

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