These Lute Olson photos could be a glimpse at statue's design

Statue design a mystery

How much of a mystery is Lute Olson's new statue? Not even the coach himself has seen the final product. 

Olson said he and wife Kelly received a sneak peak in Phoenix recently, but he doesn’t know exactly what the statue will look like. He'll find out Thursday afternoon, when the UA unveils the statue in an invitation-only even outside McKale Center.

“I know that I’ll be holding the championship trophy from ’97," he told the Star's Bruce Pascoe, "but otherwise, I’ll be interested to see it like other people will be.”

Olson's pose was chosen by Line and Space, a Tucson-based architecture firm. The firm hired artist Omri Amrany, the man who designed iconic statues of Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson and Al McGuire, to immortalize the Wildcats' coach. 

So what will the statue itself look like? We're not sure. But these photos of Olson clutching the national championship trophy could be a clue: 

Lute Olson

Lute Olson

Lute Olson

Lute Olson

Lute Olson