Chad Fisher: 76ers Legends Walk
Last September, sculptor Chad Fisher unveiled a new statue in Camden, New Jersey, honoring Charles Barkley, legendary basketball player and Philadelphia 76ers Hall of Famer. This remarkable work is the seventh in a series of statues that Fisher was commissioned to create for the 76ers Legends Walk, located along a prominent strip of lawn in front of the team’s impressive 125,000-square-foot training complex. Described as an “outdoor fine art gallery for the 76ers,” the Legends Walk was designed as a public space for celebrating the incredible contributions of key players and embracing the grand history of the team. The statue captures perfectly Barkley’s larger-than-life character featuring him poised with basketball in hand and a look of determination on his face as he winds up a slam dunk.
In preparation for this work, as well as the others in the series, Fisher spent ample time learning all about Barkley and his distinguished 16-year career in the NBA. “It is absolutely essential to obsessively study the subject before and during the creation of each statue. I begin each statue with a research stage and here I focus on the spirit of the player. Using adjectives and verbs I make an actual written list trying to describe their play/personality on and off the court,” says Fisher. In addition to rendering a detailed portrait and accurate physical portrayal, Fisher’s devotion to knowing his subject allows him to reach beyond a likeness and capture the true spirit of each player. In a single word the work is an inspiration—as an artistic achievement and a testament to Barkley’s inspiring career.
Fisher himself has also attained a career worthy of inspiration, through hard work and the outstanding support of his family. In 2012, along with his father, Fran, and wife, Denise, he officially created Fisher Sculpture LLC, with the mission “to create true fine art sculpture in the classical tradition, with harmonic composition and portraiture which honors our heroes and loved ones.” Now he and his family work together to create sculptures that embody what they stand for—authentic, skilled creations of incredible humans and their incredible stories. Two years ago, Fisher and his familial team celebrated an achievement of a long-desired goal—to own their own foundry. “Having my own foundry allows me to have complete quality control over my bronzes and I enjoy it immensely. I feel the creation is so much more pure and authentic, and less manufacturing based, when I am creating my own bronzes. My art creation is never handed off to anyone and there are no foundry marks on my sculptures,” explains Fisher. Next up, he will complete the last two works of the series honoring basketball Hall of Famers Dolph Schayes and Allen Iverson.
Barkley, who spent the first eight seasons of his career in Philadelphia, was present for the unveiling along with a host of friends and 76ers alumni. On the unforgettable experience, Barkley said, “When you grow up in Leeds, Alabama, in the projects, and all these 56 years later, you’re standing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and you’ve had this amazing journey, all you can really say is thank you. My heart will always be here in Philadelphia.”