Dolan’s sketch of the Sphere becomes reality as venue opens with U2 show in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS -- It started as a crude sketch — a circle with a stick person inside. Seven years later, that drawing has been made real: A $2.3 billion massive spherical venue standing 366 feet high and lighting up the Las Vegas skyline.The drawing was initially made by James Dolan, the executive chairman of Madison Square Garden and owner of the New York Knicks and Rangers. He and MSG Ventures CEO David Dibble were trying to create a plan to give the entertainment venue industry a facelift in Las Vegas.Both experimented with different shapes for the structure — such as a muffin, a box and even a pyramid - until Dolan drew a circle with a stick person inside on a notebook. At that moment, the Sphere was born. Now, Dolan’s vision will come into fruition when U2’s “UV Achtung Baby” residency ki...