The Los Angeles Lakers revealed a statue of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant during a private ceremony outside Crypto.com Arena.
Statue Details
This is the second of three planned statues for the NBA legend. Kobe and Gigi tragically passed away in a helicopter crash with seven others in January 2020.
8.2.24 โ Kobe and Gigi forever immortalized
โ Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers)
First Statue Unveiling
The first statue, which is 19 feet tall, was unveiled on February 8th to honor Kobe’s incredible 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors. The date chosen (8/2/24) symbolizes both of Kobe’s jersey numbers (8 and 24), as well as Gigiโs basketball number (No. 2).
Location and Public Access
The new statue stands near the Los Angeles Kings’ monument celebrating their team’s anniversary. It will be open for public viewing starting Saturday morning.
Vanessa Bryantโs Statement
Kobeโs widow, Vanessa, shared her thoughts on the statue through a statement released by the Lakers.
โWe merged two iconic courtside moments of Kobe and Gigi,โ she said. โGianna has her gorgeous smile on her face while Kobe kisses her head wearing an Eagles beanie she gave him for Christmas.”
The ultimate Girl Dad
โ Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers)
Fans feel this tribute captures their bond beautifully.
โHeโs also wearing a WNBA hoodie he wore courtside to support Gigiโs dreams and women in sports,” Vanessa added.
Plaque Inscription
A plaque at the base reads: โGianna Bryant, Inspirational Icon for Girls in Sportsโ and โKobe Bryant, Proud Supporter of Women in Sports.โ Below it are words from Kobe: โGianna is a beast. Sheโs better than I was at her age… Iโm a girl dad.โ
The Third Statue Plan
At February’s ceremony, Vanessa mentioned that the third statue would feature Kobe in his No. 24 Lakers uniform. This final piece is expected to be revealed during the upcoming season.
