First Look at Lakers' Brand-New Kobe, Gianna Bryant Statue

L.A. has just unveiled its second of three planned Kobe Bryant sculptures.

January 29, 2020; Anaheim, California, USA; Tribute for former Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant and victims before the Anaheim Ducks play against the Arizona Coyotes at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Ahead of the official public unveiling of their second of three planned bronze effigies for fallen Hall of Fame shooting guard Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers revealed the statue in a private ceremony Friday afternoon.

L.A. superfan account Lakers All Day Everyday shared a candid still of the new work — a statue depicting Bryant and his late daughter, Gianna, in the attire they wore when they attended a Lakers game early in the team's 2019-20 championship season. They're surrounded by a pair of angel wings.

The Kobe & Gigi statue has officially been unveiled 🙏

BEAUTIFULLY done. pic.twitter.com/0vt1LYXhEM

— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) August 2, 2024

Kobe and Gianna Bryant were traveling by helicopter to a team practice for the latter, along with seven other souls. All perished in a tragic accident on the morning of January 26, 2020, when their chopper crashed into the hills of Calabasas on a memorably foggy morning. Kobe was 41, Gianna just 13.

On February 8 of the Lakers' 2023-24 season, Los Angeles ownership unveiled its first Bryant statue outside its longtime home floor, Crypto.com Arena. The statue depicted its own iconic moment — Bryant pointing upwards after he scored an unbelievable 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in a 122-104 blowout on January 22, 2006.

In that iconic game Bryant shot an astounding 28-of-46 from the floor (7-of-13 from long range) and 18-of-20 from the foul line, while also pulling down six rebounds, swiping two steals, dishing out two dimes, and blocking one shot.

Bryant at the time was still wearing his original No. 8 jersey. The new statue of Bryant with his daughter depicts him four seasons after his L.A. playing career had ended. The 6-foot-6 swingman, an 18-time All-Star and five-time champion, also wore a No. 24 jersey while claiming his 2008 MVP award and winning his final two titles. With No. 8 and post-playing Bryant now out of the way, it seems likely that he will next be depicted wearing No. 24 in some capacity. The gorgeous, life-sized statues have yet to show Bryant in the actual acting of playing. It might behoove Los Angeles owner Jeanie Buss to address that with the next statue.

That 2005-06 Lakers squad featured Bryant, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Smush Parker, Brian Cook, Chris Mihm, and future championship-era deep-bench players like Ronny Turiaf, Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton. L.A. that season would finish with a 45-37 record and the West's No. 7 seed. Bryant was so good, however, that he almost willed Los Angeles to an astounding upset over two-time MVP Steve Nash's No. 2-seeded Phoenix Suns that spring. They wound up falling in seven.

But he would be back in contention soon enough.

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