What’s better than one Kobe Bryant statue? Well, how about three of them? During Thursday’s impressive statue ceremony, Vanessa Bryant shared the surprising news that two more Kobe statues will be unveiled in honor of the Los Angeles Lakers icon.
“Because fans all over the world and the City of Angels loved Kobe so much, he will have three statues in front of the arena, also known as ‘The House That Kobe Built,” Vanessa said. “One wearing the number eight, one with our beautiful daughter Gianna, and one wearing the number 24.”
(starts at 2:11 mark):
I’m not sure how many people saw that coming. Kobe will be the only Laker to have multiple statues outside the arena, with Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal, Elgin Baylor, and Chick Hearn (broadcaster) all having just one.
I suppose when you are generally considered to be the greatest Laker ever, you deserve to be treated a bit differently. Bryant spent all 20 seasons of his iconic NBA career with the Lakers, winning five championships along the way.
He had impressive averages of 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game, and is the franchise’s all-time leader in games, points, and steals. Kobe won’t be passed in any of those categories for a very long time either.
There was a lot of talk about what should be the number on Kobe’s statue and it turns out he will have one with No. 8 and No. 24. It is also quite fitting I suppose that there will also be one with his daughter Gianna, after the two tragically passed away in a helicopter accident in January 2020.
Gianna’s name along with that of her three sisters, has also been tattooed on Bryant’s arm in this statue. Kobe dearly loved his children, and it is a great addition to this first statue. As for when the other two will be unveiled, that is not yet clear.
“The timing of when the other two Kobe statues that Vanessa Bryant referenced – him and Gianna and him in a No. 24 uniform – will be unveiled is still to be determined, according to the Lakers.”
The timing of the when the other two Kobe statues that Vanessa Bryant referenced – him and Gianna and him in a No. 24 uniform – will be unveiled is still to be determined, according to the Lakers.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 9, 2024
It took over a year from when we first heard of a Kobe statue for this one to be erected, so I’d assume we won’t be seeing the second and third one before the end of 2024. I just hope there won’t be too many complaints about them, as there were a fair few with this one.
Vanessa Bryant’s Message For Anyone Who Has A Problem With The Statue’s Appearance
In this day and age, people complain about anything and everything, and Vanessa appears to be well aware of that fact. During the ceremony, Bryant sent a savage message to anyone who would have a problem with the Kobe statue.
“For the record, Kobe picked the pose you are about to see,” said Vanessa. “So if anyone has any issues with it, tough sh*t.”
The pose was from when Kobe was walking off the court after his iconic 81-point game in 2006 against the Toronto Raptors. While there weren’t too many complaints raised over the pose, some Lakers fans felt the statue was kind of disrespectful to Kobe. They felt it just wasn’t very well made, and were critical of the sculptors.
As for who is responsible for making this one, it is Illinois-based couple Omri Amrany and Julie Rotblatt-Amrany, who have created all of the statues outside the Lakers’ arena. They are among the best in the business but have seemingly failed to hit the mark with some fans.
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