The long wait for a statue to commemorate the late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is finally over.
The first of three Bryant statues was unveiled Thursday afternoon outside Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.
Bryant's widow, Vanessa, unveiled the statue and announced that the Lakers will complete three statues of the five-time NBA champion.
For one, he wears a No. 8 jersey, representing the first 10 years of Bryant's Hall of Fame career. His second statue wearing the number 24 jersey, marking the second (and final) chapter of his NBA career. And finally, his third statue of his daughter Gianna Bryant.
“If you think about it, he really had two careers here,” Bryant's teammate Robert Horry said. spectrum sports net After the unveiling. “One wears number 8 and the other wears number 24. So it makes sense that there would be three statues of him here.”
Vanessa thanked Lakers owner Jeanie Buss for helping her create the statue and called Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) “the house that Kobe built.”
Jeanie Buss said, “I'm filled with joy today because in the future, fans will gather 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 and in doing so inspire new generations to emulate the spirit of the Mamba. And let me add, Kobe and Vanessa Inspired by true love stories, you'll definitely see photos of proposals taking place here.”
Vanessa also chose February 2, 2024 as the unveiling date for the statue, 2/8/24, a numerological reference to Gianna's jersey number 2 and Bryant's jersey numbers 8 and 24. Kobe and Gianna were among nine people killed in January 2020 when the helicopter they were traveling in crashed in the mountains of Calabasas, California.
Five high school athletes who were coached by the late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant speak candidly about their experiences having him as their coach. Alex Rozier reported on NBC4 News on January 26, 2024.
Bryant's first statue joins a number of other Lakers legends inside Crypto.com Arena's “Star Plaza.” In addition to Bryant, Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O'Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jerry West, and Hall of Fame Lakers announcer Chick Hearn will also have statues in Star Plaza. ing.
“Thank you to all the fans,” Vanessa said. “Kobe has so many people around the world who have supported him since the beginning, and this moment is not just for Kobe, but for all of you who have supported him over the years. And for the fans here in Los Angeles, this is a special city that Kobe was proud to represent. See how much love you have for all of us And that makes me so happy. We love you.”
Los Angeles Kings legends Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille also have statues at Star Plaza, as does boxer Oscar De La Hoya.
The statue was unveiled during a private ceremony prior to Thursday night's game between the Lakers and the Denver Nuggets, where the team will wear “Black Mamba” jerseys designed by Bryant. The statue will be unveiled to the public overnight on Friday, February 9th at 10am.
The statue depicts Kobe wearing a “Sunday White” jersey with No. 8 on his back and pointing his right hand toward the sky. He also has his daughters' names tattooed on his arm. This statue is his artistic representation of me.The infamous 81 point game against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006.
Bryant is also surrounded by five Larry O'Brien championship trophies representing his five titles at the base of the statue.
The statue's triangular base pays homage to Tex Winter and Phil Jackson's triangle offense, which the Lakers implemented in all five of their championship runs.
“He took the game of basketball seriously,” he said. Mr. Jackson speaking at the unveiling ceremony. “When I came to the Lakers, Jerry West provided a room for Kobe to meet with me. He talked about watching his team play basketball for hours. He was ready to step in there. He was ready to win a championship. He was 22 years old.”
The base is engraved with the words “Kobe Bean Bryant 'Black Mamba'” and includes various honors that Bryant achieved during his illustrious career. It also features Kobe's famous quote, “Leave your game better than when you found it. And when the time comes.” For you to leave, leave behind a legend. ”
The 19-foot-tall, 4,000-pound bronze statue was sculpted by Illinois-based couple Omri and Jules Lobrat Amrany, who were also commissioned to sculpt all of the other Lakers statues in Star Plaza. Ta.
“For the record, Kobe chose the pose you're about to see,” Vanessa Bryant said before the unveiling.
Los Angeles Lakers fans gathered downtown for the unveiling of Kobe Bryant's statue. Ted Chiang reported on NBC4 News on February 8, 2024.
Several Lakers legends with statues were in attendance, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, as were former teammates such as Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom.
Bryant played all 20 NBA seasons with the Lakers. During his time in the NBA, he was an 18-time NBA All-Star, won five championships, was NBA MVP, two-time NBA Finals MVPS, and won two Olympic gold medals.
Bryant was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on May 15, 2021.
