Trump announces statues of Kobe Bryant, Muhammad Ali, and Jackie Robinson for new national heroes garden
Three American sports legends are getting their own statues in Washington D.C., as part of Donald Trump’s revived plan for a National Garden of American Heroes.
Trump made the announcement Thursday during a Black History Month event at the White House, where he signed an executive order to restart the project.
“We’re going to be honoring our heroes, honoring the greatest people from our country,” Trump said. “We’re not gonna be tearing down, we’re gonna be building up.”
The garden will feature statues of basketball icon Kobe Bryant, boxing legend Muhammad Ali, and baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson among others.
Kobe’s inclusion comes just five years after his tragic death in a helicopter crash that also claimed the life of his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others. The Lakers superstar was a five-time NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist who transformed the game during his 20-year career.
Muhammad Ali dominated boxing for two decades, becoming the first fighter to win the heavyweight title three times. But it was his impact outside the ring – standing up for his beliefs even when it cost him his titles – that cemented his legacy as “The Greatest.”
Jackie Robinson changed American sports forever in 1947 when he broke baseball’s color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He faced brutal racism with remarkable dignity while proving himself one of the game’s best players, winning MVP in 1949.
The garden will also honor civil rights icons including:
– Martin Luther King Jr.
– Harriet Tubman
– Rosa Parks
– Frederick Douglass
Music legends Aretha Franklin and Billie Holiday are set to be memorialized as well.
This isn’t the first time Trump has pushed for the heroes garden. He signed a similar order in 2020 during nationwide protests over racial injustice, but President Biden later revoked it.
The new executive order also includes provisions to protect monuments and federal buildings from vandalism.
The National Garden of American Heroes will be located on the National Mall, right in the heart of the nation’s capital. No timeline has been announced for when construction might begin.
