Lakers News: First Kobe Bryant Statue Unveiled At Crypto.com Arena

The moment is finally here.

A long-awaited moment has finally arrived for Los Angeles Lakers fans. 

The team has officially unveiled the epic new statue of five-time champ Kobe Bryant outside of Crypto.com Arena. Well, inside a tent that was outside of Crypto.com Arena, to be precise. The figure shows Bryant pointing to the rafters, following the moment he scored 81 points against Jalen Rose and the Toronto Raptors on January 22nd, 2006.

KOBE BRYANT’S FIRST OF THREE STATUES REVEALED TO THE WORLD pic.twitter.com/NUnapNbYd3

— All Lakers - AllLakers.com (@thelakers248) February 9, 2024

Here's a side-by-side comp with the original moment:

2 • 8 • 24 ♾️🐍

— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) February 8, 2024

The statue was unveiled during a ceremony among a small group of people. Family and friends of Bryant made their way to see it become officially a part of history. Fans will be able to view the statue starting on Friday morning.

Bryant joins multiple Laker legends, who have their statue along Star Plaza. Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jerry West and announcer Chick Hearn all have statues outside the arena. 

His wife Vanessa played a crucial role in the design of the statue, showing tribute to his basketball career. 

This was a long time coming, but Bryant is now forever immortalized outside of the arena, which he helped build with his play on the court. He brought the Lakers five NBA championships and countless memories along the way.

Bryant meant the world to the Lakers organization, and this is just another celebration of his incredible accomplishments. 

The legacy of the 18-time All-Star shall never be forgotten, and his status as a legend is sealed. Only true greats receive statues, and Bryant is enshrined as a truly special player.

His impact on the game of basketball can't be overstated, and the entire world mourned the loss of this NBA great. He is missed every day, but his memory will live on forever.