Every sport has its own figures who transcend the boundaries of the games. They become much more than players, becoming household names, a part of life. Kobe Bryant was one such icon who now has physical proof of his undeniable legacy.
Four years after his tragic demise, Kobe Bryant joins the illustrious list of the most influential figures in the NBA to have a statue of themselves after the Lakers pay the ultimate tribute.
Kobe Bryant to have three statues outside Crypto.com arena
The Lakers unveiled their late legend Kobe Bryant’s statue on February 8 before their game against the Nuggets. In 2017 Shaquille O’Neal predicted Lakers’ inevitable gesture by immortalizing Kobe with a statue. The franchise has declared that they will have not one but three statues installed of the ‘Black Mamba’ outside of the Crypto.com arena.
The first of the three statues depicted him in his iconic jersey No. 8. On January 22, 2006, he celebrated his remarkable 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, and the statue captured the same pose from that match. Providing a brief description of the other two statues, Kobe’s wife Vanessa has announced that the second one will feature the legend in his jersey No. 24. The last one will portray him with his late daughter, Gianna, who perished in the same helicopter accident in 2020.
Among the attendees were some of his former teammates and players of the team. His close friends and former basketball players Pau Gasol who gave an emotional tribute to Kobe in his Hall of Fame induction, Lamar Odom and Lakers legend Magic Johnson could be seen at the ceremony. The team played against the Nuggets wearing the Black Mamba jerseys that the late LA Lakers legend himself had a hand in designing years ago.
Unveiled Kobe statue leaves NBA fans furious
While the statue unveiling ceremony of the 5-time Championship winner was an emotional moment for fans all around the world, some have reacted differently. Some of the posts that fans have shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) are :
“They really did a good job look at the detail in the mf shoes”
“That is NOT kobe”
“the statue don’t even look like him they really had one job and messed it up”
