The Los Angeles Lakers will honor the late franchise legend Kobe Bryant with three statues situated in front of the team’s Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers unveiled the first of those statues earlier this week during a ceremony attended by Bryant’s widow, Vanessa.
The 19-foot statue features Bryant wearing a No. 8 jersey and pointing his finger up in the air while being surrounded by five NBA championship trophies. It captures the moment as Bryant walked away from the court after the 2006 game versus the Toronto Raptors, in which he scored 81 points.
“For the record, Kobe picked the pose you’re about to see,” Vanessa said as the statue was about to be revealed. “… This moment isn’t just for Kobe, but it’s for all of you who have been rooting for him all of these years.”
Considering that Bryant’s Hall of Fame career was filled with big moments and amazing achievements, the Lakers and Vanessa couldn’t settle on just one statute. Together, they made a decision to have three statutes in order to better capture Bryant’s legacy.
The second statue will show Bryant wearing the No.24 jersey, while the third one will feature him alongside his daughter Gianna. The unveiling date for the remaining two statues is yet to be determined.
“When I found out there was going to be three statues, I just said, ‘That’s fitting,’” said Lakers’ general manager and Bryant’s longtime agent Rob Pelinka. “Because it’s just how the City of Angels feels about Kobe. He deserves something that no other athlete that’s ever played here deserves.”
