- A Kobe Bryant statue is in the works
- The unveiling date is set for August 8 next year
- Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi have a statue near the crash site in Calabasas
The Los Angeles Lakers are set to pay the ultimate tribute to Kobe Bryant as they are set to immortalize him with a statue outside the Crypto.com Arena.
Per a Daily Mail report, the franchise is finalizing plans, and the statue will be unveiled on August 8, 2024.
“The promised Kobe Bryant statue outside LA’s Crypto.com Arena will incorporate his daughter Gigi and – in a nod to his jersey numbers, 8 and 24 – will be unveiled by the Lakers on August 8, 2024, an inside source has told DailyMail.com,” the report read.
It further added:
“Lakers owner Jeanie Buss previously revealed plans to erect a statue for Bryant after he, his 13-year-old daughter, Gigi, six friends, and a pilot died in a helicopter crash in January of 2020.
“The source tells DailyMail.com that Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, is involved with the plans but cautioned that an artist for the piece has not yet been chosen.”
Bryant, a five-time NBA champion, played all of his 20 seasons with the Lakers and called time on his illustrious career after the 2015-16 season. He died tragically, along with his daughter Gianna, and eight others, in January 2020, aged 41.
A statue of Bryant and Gianna was erected at the crash site in Calabasas in 2022, but it was not looked at as a permanent memorial.
The Black Mamba was a bonafide superstar for the Lakers, known for his relentless work ethic and his brilliance on the court. During his time, he averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game and ended his run as an 18-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion, one-time league MVP and two-time NBA Finals MVP. Quite simply, he won everything with the Lakers.
So far, the players statues at the arena include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, and Shaquille O’Neal.
Matt Barnes Believes Kobe Bryant Must Get His Statue Before LeBron James Does When He Retires
Earlier, statute talks rose to the fore when LeBron James hinted at retirement after the Los Angeles Lakers’ 4-0 Conference Finals loss to the Denver Nuggets this past season. And with that, a statue of James at the Crypto.com Arena started doing the rounds.
And sharing his two cents on the topic was former player Matt Barnes believed that while James’ statue situation will be internally discussed, Bryant should get his first.
“They gotta worry about getting that Kobe statue up first,” Barnes said. “But I mean obviously, LeBron is an all-time great, so I’m sure they’ll find a way to honor him with a statue. I don’t really know the politics of getting a statue at Staples Center, but one championship, scoring title, you’ll have to see, you never know.”
Bryant rightfully deserves a statue, and it has to do with more than just him being a franchise icon. The Mamba was revered and is still looked at as the ultimate motivator with his legendary “Mamba Mentality”. Add this to his feats on the field and the global recognition that he contributed to the league, there are more than one ample reasons for him to get a statue.
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