In Summary
- Kobe Bryant immortalized with 19-foot bronze statute
- The Statute is the first of the three that will be created to honor the NBA champion ,
- Bryant and his Daughter Gianna died in a helicopter Crash in Jan 2020
The Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statute of Kobe Byrant on Thursday,honoring their late superstar with a 19-foot bronze likeness outside their downtown arena.
The 4,000 pound statute depicts Bryant in his white NO.8 jersey with his right index finger raised as he walked off the court following his 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006.
Bryant now joins the ranks of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Chick Hearn and his longtime championship running mate Shaquille O’Neal as Lakers figures to be forever enshrined outside the arena, a sports venue referred to by many as the “House that Kobe Built.”
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Vanessa Byrant’s Message
The last person to speak Thursday was Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant. She informed the world that her husband had personally selected the pose to be used for his statue, his arm held high and a single finger pointing to the sky. It was a gesture he made often during his illustrious career.
“For the record, Kobe picked the pose you’re about to see. So anyone who has any issues with it, tough s**t,” she said, drawing laughter and applause from the crowd.
Kobe Bryant’s Career
Bryant retired in 2016 after a 20-year career spent entirely with the Lakers. He is the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history with 33,643 points, and his accolades included 18 NBA All-Star selections and two NBA Finals MVP awards.
Another statue will feature Bryant in his No. 24 jersey, which he wore for the second half of his career, while a third will depict Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, who died with him and seven others in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
