LA Lakers unveil Kobe Bryant statue with an iconic pose

Kobe Bryant, renowned for surpassing expectations, had a statue unveiled outside the Los Angeles Lakers’ Crypto.com Arena, and in a surprising revelation, it was announced that three statues will eventually grace the downtown L.A. location.

A private ceremony held on Thursday drew Lakers legends such as Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and former head coach Phil Jackson. Notable figures like Pau Gasol, Norm Nixon, Michael Cooper, and Robert Horry were also present. Abdul-Jabbar and Jackson, along with Lakers controlling owner Jeanie Buss, former Laker Derek Fisher, and Vanessa Bryant, the widow of Kobe, spoke at the event.

Vanessa Bryant shared her thoughts, emphasizing Kobe’s lasting impact on the game. “As I see today’s current generation of star players follow in Kobe’s footsteps with huge scoring games, I know he would take pride in knowing that he is still pouring inspiration into the game that was so special to him,” she said. Quoting her late husband, she added, “‘Leave the game better than you found it and when it comes time for you to leave, leave a legend.’ And that he did.”

Kobe Bryant’s statue unveiling was just beautiful. Cookie and I were so impressed with his wife Vanessa’s grace, class, and her beautiful speech about not only Kobe but their beautiful daughters. Vanessa put together an outstanding ceremony. We were also so impressed with how… pic.twitter.com/N1KlZxWPIv

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The first Bryant statue was then unveiled, depicted in a white Lakers uniform with the No. 8, right index finger pointed into the air. This iconic pose captured the moment after his historic 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006. The ceremony date, 2/8/24, held symbolic significance, representing the jersey numbers of both Kobe Bryant (No. 8 and No. 24) and his daughter Gianna Bryant (No. 2), an aspiring basketball player tragically lost in the same incident.