'The Tradition' Set To Honor Bird, Law, Lowell
BOSTON (CBS) - The New England Sports Museum is set to honor six athletes Tuesday night at "The Tradition" at the TD Garden.
In its 10th year, "The Tradition" honors distinguished New England athletes, bringing them back to honor them in a very informal and fun way, both for the athletes and fans in attendance.
Here are the honorees for this year's ceremony, which also includes a gala reception and silent auction to benefit the New England Sports Museum:
- Celtics legend Larry Bird will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to him by Globe columnist Bob Ryan. Bird won three championships with the Celtics in the 1980's, being named Finals MVP in both 1984 and 1986. Bird is second all-time in Celtics scoring with 21,791 points in just 13 seasons.
- Ty Law will be presented with the Football Legacy Award for his 10 seasons with the Patriots. Law was drafted 23rd overall by the Patriots in 1995 and won three Super Bowls in New England. He was the first Patriot to lead the NFL in interceptions in 1998, and was named to his first of four Pro Bowls while in New England. He returned a Kurt Warner interception 74-yards in the Patriots first Super Bowl victory in 2001, but Law's most famous game as a Patriot came in the 2003 AFC Championship game when he intercepted Colts quarterback Peyton Manning three times in the 24-14 win. Patriots owner Robert Kraft will present Law with the award.
- Willie O'Ree will be honored with the Hockey Legacy Award. O'Ree broke the color barrier in the NHL with the Boston Bruins in 1958. He played two games that season, and returned to the Bruins and NHL in 1960-61, scoring four goals and tallying 11 assists in 43 games. Making O'Ree's career even more impressive was the fact he was 95-percent blind in his right eye, something he kept secret in order to play.
- Former Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell will be honored with the Baseball Legacy Award after his 13-year MLB career, five with the Red Sox. Lowell was named MVP of the 2007 World Series and was a fan favorite after his arrival in 2006 for his smooth defense and veteran leadership. Lowell was diagnosed with testicular cancer earlier in his career in 1999, but came back after beating the disease to win two World Series championships (his first with the Marlins in 2003).
- Lowell native Micky Ward will receive the Boxing Legacy Award from Dorchester native Mark Wahlberg, who portrayed Ward in the 2010 film "The Fighter." Ward went pro in 1985 and won 38 of his 51 fights, 27 by knockout. Ward is most famous for his three bouts with Arturo Gatti in the early 2000's, in which Ward took the first fight and Gatti taking the next two.
- Bobbi Gibb will receive the Special Achievement Award for becoming the first woman to finish the Boston Marathon in 1966. Women were not allowed to run the Marathon at the time, but Gibb signed up anyways and finished in 3:21:40 and in 1996 was official recognized as the Women's winner in 1966, 67 and 68. Olympic Gold Medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson will present her with the award.
