Lakers News: 2-Time WNBA MVP Celebrates LA’s Kobe, Gianna Bryant Angel Statue

Their statue was unveiled on Friday.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers unveiled the statue featuring Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant in a private ceremony on Friday, the second of the three statues outside of the Crypto.com area that the Lakers have created in honor of Kobe.

The statue is a recreation of when Kobe and Gianna, who were killed along with seven other people in a January 2020 helicopter crash, were photographed sitting court-side at a Lakers-Dallas Mavericks game in 2019. The statue features angel wings behind Kobe and Gianna, a tribute to Kobe's childhood in Italy, and is surrounded by flowers. A plaque in front of the statue with the Mambacita logo labels Gianna as an "inspirational icon for girls in sports" and Kobe as a "proud supporter of women in sports."

The statue additionally holds a quote from Kobe, also known as the 'Most Valuable Girl Dad,' which read, "Gianna is a beast. She’s better than I was at her age. She’s got it. Girls are amazing. I would have five more girls if I could. I’m a girl dad."

The statue was the second after the Lakers previously unveiled Kobe's first statue on Feb. 8, 2024, which shows Kobe celebrating his incredible 81-point game. Like the first statue, the date of this statue unveiling — Aug. 2, 2024 — pays tribute to Kobe and Gianna's jersey numbers.

The basketball community has since poured in with reactions celebrating the new statue, including from women's basketball great Candace Parker. The 6-foot-4 power forward who announced her retirement prior to the 2024 WNBA season after two MVP honors, seven All-Star berths and ten All-NBA accolades, posted her reaction on Instagram.

"Vanessa Bryant does it again! BEAUTIFUL representation of Kobe and Gigi and the legacy that they leave behind. Kobe and Gigi are a huge reason why women’s sports are where they are right now," Parker said, before detailing of when she first met Kobe and his family in 2008.

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"Seeing the statue of Kobe and Gigi and reading the plaque of him talking about Gigi being a beast makes me smile," Parker added. "He was so proud of his girls! He is the ultimate girl dad!"

This statue not only paid tribute to Kobe and Gianna, but to both of the contributions each made in women's sports, making Parker's post a fitting response.

Vanessa Bryant has carried on their legacy of contributions to women's sports through the Mamba and Mambacita foundation, which provides funding for underserved kids to participate in sports.

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