Lakers Set To Unveil New Kobe Statue On Friday

Matt Levine | Aug 1, 2024

This past NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue of former great Kobe Bryant outside Crypto.com Arena. The statue had been a long time coming and honored the former star player by cementing his legacy with the organization.

It was the first of three planned statues to memorialize Bryant and the second one has now been announced. The Lakers are planning to unveil a new statue that depicts Bryant and his daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant in a private ceremony on Friday.

The date of Aug. 2 has significance for both Bryant and Gigi, using both numbers that they wore while on the basketball court. The first statue was unveiled on Feb. 8, a reverse of the eight and two numbers.

According to ESPN insider Dave McMenamin, the statue will be available for the public to view on Saturday morning.

"The statue of the father and daughter is located near the Los Angeles Kings' monument celebrating the team's 50th anniversary. It will be available for the public to visit starting Saturday morning, sources told ESPN."

During the ceremony in Feb., Bryant's widow, Vanessa, said that the final statue of her husband would have him wearing his No. 24 jersey. All three statues are meant to honor the legacy that Bryant put forth while with the Lakers. The third statue is likely to be debuted during the upcoming regular season.

Bryant spent 20 seasons with the Lakers, helping the organization win five NBA championships during that period. He is one of the most famous basketball players of all-time and his memory has lived on since his tragic passing in early 2020.

His memory has lived on due to what he instilled in the rest of the sports world. The "Mamba Mentality" that Bryant showed gave people a way to look deeper inside themselves to find the best versions that they could.

Even when he was tired or had an injury, Bryant found a way to come through for the team and fanbase. He suffered a torn Achilles in 2013 that changed the course of his career but was able to recover and play a few more seasons.

During his final game, Bryant dropped 60 points on his way out. It was a reminder of how special of a player he truly was and gave the fans one last memorable moment.

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