On Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers finally unveiled a new Kobe Bryant statue outside Crypto.com arena and the event attracted worldwide attention. Speaking during the public ceremony, Vanessa Bryant even went viral after sending a message to all those who have a problem with the statue’s iconic position.
“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.
https://www.instagram.com/p/p:C3G0d-JuzzT
The statue features Kobe in an iconic pose, donning his No. 8 Lakers jersey. It’s a call-back to his 81-point game when he did the pose after walking off the court with the second-high-scoring game in history. It’s an undoubtedly epic Kobe moment and apparently the scene that Kobe himself picked out as his preferred stayed pose. Of course, none of it stopped the Lakers fans from sharing their thoughts anyway, and many of them made it known that they hated the look.
Regardless of the discourse online, Vanessa kept her focus on celebrating Kobe and the legacy he left behind after 20+ years in Los Angeles. And while Bryant admitted that it was a bitter-sweet moment for her and her family, she said that Kobe was proud to represent the city he loved so much.
“It goes without saying that today is an especially sad day for us since Kobe and Gigi aren’t here for what is supposed to be an incredibly joyous moment and Kobe’s legacy,” said Vanessa. “Kobe has so many people that have supported him all over the world from the very beginning. And this moment isn’t just for Kobe, it’s for all of you that have been rooting for him all of these years… and to the fans here in LA, this is a special city Kobe was so proud to represent. You welcomed him with open arms and have been so important to him, our family and his legacy.”
It was obviously a touching moment for Lakers Nation and it was a well-deserved moment of recognition for a truly extraordinary legend. But the best way for the Lakers to honor Kobe’s memory is by maintaining their status as an elite basketball team and living up to the standard of greatness that he set during his career.
NBA Fans Wanted A Different Pose
When it comes to social media, there will always be people who find something to argue about. In the case of Kobe’s statue, it was a hot topic on X all night long due to critics complaining about the final product. Besides some questionable details on the face, Lakers fans imagined a different pose for the state, such as Kobe’s iconic fadeaway jump shot, or his celebration during the 2010 NBA championship victory. Some were also hoping to see him and Gianna together, but there’s still hope for that one with news that Gigi will be involved in at least one of the statues down the road.
Regardless of the public’s opinion, however, the Lakers are going to stick with this selection because it’s what Kobe wanted. After such a successful career and an impactful run, he earned the right to pick how he wanted to be remembered and the Lakers are doing him that honor by sticking to his wishes. Truly, it was a great moment for the franchise and the city and a distraction from what has been an otherwise unimpressive season.
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