Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
“Kobe did the pose you're about to see,” Vanessa Bryant said at the unveiling of a statue honoring her late husband today, adding, “If anyone has a problem with that… If that happened, it would be a big deal.”
In case you're wondering, the pose involves the Lakers legend standing with his right hand extended upwards and his index finger raised, which is seen as the “I'm No. 1 gesture.” .
That may indeed be the case. As we all know, Bryant had no confidence in his talent.
But it's also a snapshot from end of the game On January 22, 2006, against the Toronto Raptors, Bryant scored 81 points, the second-highest single-game point total in NBA history. As Bryant left the court that night, he held up his index finger both to celebrate himself and to thank the cheering crowd.
(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
To commemorate the night, the team also released a seven-minute video narrated by Lakers die-hard Denzel Washington and directed by frequent collaborator Antoine Fuqua. We also celebrate Bryant's 81 point feat night.
Vanessa Bryant said in a speech that the statue will be one of three of her late husband's statues outside the arena. Kobe and his daughter Gianna appear one by one, wearing their respective jersey numbers (8 and 24). They and seven others tragically died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.
Watch the statue unveiling ceremony and Vanessa Bryant's full speech below.
