A statue of former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is seen after its unveiling outside the NBA basketball team’s arena Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Eric Thayer/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Eric Thayer/AP
A statue of former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is seen after its unveiling outside the NBA basketball team’s arena Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Eric Thayer/AP
Four years after the death of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, the team has unveiled the first of three statues of him that will stand outside the city’s Crypto.com arena.
The first was revealed at Thursday’s ceremony and featured Bryant, wearing jersey number 8, pointing his finger skyward after scoring 81 points against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006. It is at second place in terms of marks. At an NBA game.
Bryant’s wife Vanessa said at an event celebrating the statue, “Kobe chose the pose you’re going to see, so if anyone has a problem with it, comment harshly.”
He added, “As I watch today’s current generation of star players follow in Kobe’s footsteps with big-scoring games, I know they would be proud to know that he is still inspiring in that game.” Which was very special for him.”
Former Lakers coach Phil Jackson said that in the previous game, he had taken Bryant out after scoring 50 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks. At that time, the Lakers were up by about 25 or 30 points.
“I said, ‘No, that’s enough.’ We’re going to win this game and we’ll save some ideas for another game on another night. But the night he scored 81, we needed all those points,” Jackson said.
The statue was created by artist Julie Rotblat Amreni and features elements specifically requested by Vanessa Bryant, including an inscription commemorating Bryant’s career; a QR code to view their highlights; a triangular base, an homage to the triangular offense created by Jackson and former NBA coach Tex Winter; And replicas of Bryant’s five championship trophies surround the base.
It will be open to the public starting at 10 a.m. Friday, the Lakers said.
Bryant’s statue also features a tattoo on his arm of the names of his and Vanessa’s four daughters – Natalia, Bianca, Capri and Gianna, who died with Bryant in a helicopter crash in 2020 at the age of 13 .
Vanessa Bryant said, “Even though some of our girls weren’t born at that particular moment, that specific detail is for Kobe.”
Bryant’s former teammate Derek Fisher said of all the stories that exist about Bryant, he prefers to tell them about who he was as a father, such as telling his family on one of the few days off. Taking to Disneyland.
He told Bryant’s family, “As you know, your father and your husband – one of the greatest human beings … who ever walked this earth, and one of the greatest basketball players to ever touch a basketball. So It doesn’t matter what people try to tell you later who is the GOAT (the greatest ever) and all that, remind them.”
Others in attendance included former Lakers players Magic Johnson, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Jerry West and Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest Jr.); Bryant’s former Olympic teammate Dwyane Wade and NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Jackson recalled several moments when he knew Bryant would be a leader.
When Jackson first joined the team, he met with Bryant, who discussed the copious amounts of hours he spent watching Jackson’s former team at the age of 22, and how he had his sights set on winning a championship.
Bryant went to Mass and read books on leadership that Jackson would give him. While his teammates were out for the night, he spent his time off the court recovering and watching tape, so much so that he complained to Jackson that he was not spending enough time with him.
“You want to be team captain one day, right?” Jackson asked Bryant, to which he replied, “Oh, now I get to be captain.”
“He didn’t just play the game, he defined it,” Fischer said. “That’s what it was like to really be around him on a daily basis. He set standards, he broke records, the legacy he left is the foundation upon which current players and future players build their dreams.”
Bryant was a lifelong Laker, spending 20 years with the team. In that period, he scored 33,643 points, was selected to the All-Star Game 18 times, received one league MVP, two NBA Finals MVPs and won five championships.
Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said, “This statue may look like Kobe, but really this is what excellence looks like, what discipline looks like, what commitment looks like, what family love looks like.” “The fact that all those qualities come in one exceptionally handsome man is just a bonus.”
Another statue of Bryant will show him with his daughter Gianna, while a third statue will show him in the number 24 jersey.
Lakers co-owner Jenny Buss said, “I think about Kobe constantly and miss him and Gigi more than words can express.” “But today, I am filled with joy because in the future, I know fans will gather here in the shadow of this statue, next to this building where Kobe gave us so many memories, and we will share what he meant to us.” What matters.”
