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Lemieux statue unveiled in Pittsburgh

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PITTSBURGH (AP) - Mario Lemieux spent his Hall-of-Fame career toying with defenders. Now one such moment has been frozen in time.

The Pittsburgh Penguins unveiled a 4,700-pound bronze statue honoring Lemieux outside Consol Energy Center on Wednesday. The statue depicts Lemieux splitting a pair of defensemen on his way to scoring a goal against the New York Islanders in 1988.

Sculptor Bruce Wolfe spent 15 months on the project, which is based on a picture that ran in Sports Illustrated. Lemieux called it a "special day" during a brief ceremony.

Lemieux said he has a copy of the picture the sculpture is based on at home. He called it a "perfect" shot to capture the essence of his career.

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