Lakers News: Fan Reactions To Announcement Of 3 Kobe Bryant Statues

The Black Mamba has been immortalized in bronze.

Your Los Angeles Lakers have finally unveiled what will be the first of three intended statues commemorating 18-time All-Star shooting guard Kobe Bryant outside of Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers showcased the statue during a special ceremony prior to the Lakers' home game tonight against the mighty Denver Nuggets.

The first statue captured the moment after Bryant putting the finishing touches on his most prolific game, an 81-point masterpiece on a chilly January night in 2006 (the 22nd, to be precise). The other two statues are set to feature Bryant wearing his No. 24 jersey and another pose of his daughter Gianna.

Kobe and Lakers fans immediately took to social media to share their thoughts on the statue. Here are some of the top reactions. 

This is well deserved Kobe! World misses u

— James (@thesaucyboss100) February 9, 2024

Another fan appreciated the Gianna Bryant appreciation:

So Cool Gianna is getting a statue as well

LA is so Classy 😎 🙏 😇

— Ray (@RACRaymond) February 9, 2024

One fan hoped the iconic moment of Bryant celebrating his Game 7 Finals win with fans during a 2010 series against the Boston Celtics would be his No. 24 statue:

This has to be one of the statues pic.twitter.com/iwSKhMvTZu

— 🦇 (@Shadowiscold) February 9, 2024

The statue was unveiled in front of a massive crowd of Lakers and NBA legends, a little over four years after the devastating death of Bryant, Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash. 

In honor of Kobe and Gigi, the Lakers waited to unveil the statue on 2/8/24, which represented the No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys Kobe wore with the Lakers, and the No. 2 jersey Gianna wore.

This statue unveiling was of course a special moment for many Lakers fans, who cherished watching Bryant play for only the Lakers over his 20-year NBA career and helped bring home five championships to Los Angeles. 

Beyond just Lakers fans, Bryant was a fan-favorite across the entire NBA (while, outside of Indiana, New Jersey, Detroit, Boston and Orlando, anyway). His "Mamba Mentality" resonated with tons of fans and players alike. He is one of the NBA's all-time greats, and was undoubtedly deserving of this statue. 

The statue will now immortalize Kobe and his legacy in front of Crypto.com Arena, for fans to visit and pay tribute to the legend.