Kobe Bryant’s highly-anticipated statue reveal had many Lakers fans excited about what they could expect to see. Unfortunately, many of them were left disappointed with the unveiling and felt that the Lakers could have done better to honor such an iconic legend.
The statue is quite smaller than most expected but it does feature his iconic pose following the legendary 81-point game. After he was subbed out for the final minutes, he raised his finger to the crowd in a moment of appreciation and recognition. Even with this context in mind, and the fact that this is just the first of three statues of Bryant, many people are just not feeling the statue there was a sense that people were left wanting more from what is basically a memorial at this point.
One fan went so far as to say they “disrespected” Kobe and compared the statue to a play-dough project from a three-year-old.
If you look closer at the face, there just seems to be a stunning lack of detail, and some fans claim that they can barely even tell it’s Kobe: “With all due respect, they did him dirty,” wrote one account on X.
Another fan said – “whoever made this, did an awful job”, which could be true.
Whoever made this, did an awful job . I’m sorry.
— Neef (@BAYCNAFA) February 9, 2024
One fan said they should fire the artist who created this statue – “Yeah they need to fire that artist… it’s like statues have no effort anymore. We’re in 2024 now smh…”
Obviously, every fan will have their own opinions, but the Lakers seem quite proud of the statue, and Vanessa Bryant herself has already come out to condemn any who “have a problem with it.” Love it or hate it, it really doesn’t matter.
Kobe Bryant’s legacy is already set in Los Angeles and the stories of what he did as a Laker will outlast any manmade relic. Despite some of the debate over the statue, the Lakers and the Bryant family seemed proud of the statue and there’s no reason that they shouldn’t be given that this is apparently exactly what Kobe wanted.
Kobe Bryant Is The Greatest Laker Of All-Time
It isn’t common for players to get their own statue outside their arena, and it takes a truly rare type of athlete to earn that honor. Tonight, Kobe Bryant joined that exclusive club and he couldn’t be more deserving. Out of all the players who have worn a Lakers jersey, it’s Kobe who is considered the greatest and his body of work over 20 years speaks for itself. Long before he retired in 2016, Kobe was the heart and soul of sports in Los Angeles and the city continues to pay homage to his legacy today.
Over 20 seasons in the NBA, Bryant was a 5x champion, 1x MVP, 2x scoring champion, 18x All-Star, and 15x All-NBA player. He averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game on 44.7% shooting. From his days with Shaquille O’Neal to his partnership with Pau Gasol, Kobe was a winner through and through and he embraced what it meant to be a Laker. The statue revealed today features one of his most memorable moments: his 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors, which stands as the second-highest-scoring game in NBA history. It was just one of the many highlights of Kobe’s career, which continues to be celebrated and adored by fans today.
Sadly, Kobe’s career took a turn for the worse in 2013, when he ruptured his Achilles mid-game and began a grueling comeback process. He was never the same again and would go on to retire just three years later. Even so, despite an unfortunate ending, Kobe’s 20-year run in Los Angeles remains the greatest stretch by any player in the city and all Lakers players going forward will have to live up to his standard. Today, over four years after his death, it’s only fitting that he gets honored eternally right outside the place where he won so many games.
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