A statue of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi will be revealed in a private ceremony on Friday outside Crypto.com Arena.
Honoring Kobe and Gigi
This statue is the second of three planned to honor Kobe, who tragically died in a helicopter crash with Gigi and seven others in January 2020. The first statue, a 19-foot bronze piece celebrating Kobeโs famous 81-point game against the Raptors, was unveiled earlier this year. It even included a box score from that game, though there were some initial spelling mistakes for player names which have since been fixed.
The sculptor behind these works is Julie Rotblatt Amrany from Illinois. On the base of this new statue is one of Kobe’s memorable quotes: โLeave the game better than you found it. And when it comes time for you to leave, leave a legend.โ Vanessa Bryant emphasized at the unveiling that “Kobe picked the pose you’re about to see.”
Significance of August 2nd
The date chosen for this ceremony (8/2/24) holds special meaning as it represents both of Kobeโs jersey numbers (8 and 24) and Gigiโs number (2). The Lakers retired his numbers back in 2017. This new statue will be placed near another monument celebrating the Los Angeles Kings’ anniversary.
Fans can visit this new tribute starting Saturday morning. Vanessa also shared that another statue featuring Kobe in his No. 24 uniform would be revealed during the next season.
For us fans, it’s heartwarming to see such tributes being made for someone who meant so much to basketball.
Kobe’s Legacy
Kobe spent his entire career with the Lakers before retiring in 2016. He was an 18-time All-Star and entered the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. In celebration of NBAโs 75th Anniversary, he was ranked as one of their top players ever by The Athletic.
He led many categories for the Lakers including points (33,643), steals (1,944), turnovers (4,010), and games played (1,346). He won five NBA titles and two Finals MVPs during his career.
Kobe was also known for being the first player with at least 30k points and 6k assists! His scoring prowess shone brightly during seasons like ’05-’06 where he averaged over 35 points per game!
