For twenty seasons, Kobe Bryant played for the Lakers, with nearly 600 games at the Staples Center, now the Crypto.com Arena, also known as The House That Kobe Built.
Four years after the fateful helicopter crash that shocked the entire world and took the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others, Kobe Bryant has finally come home.
02/08/24 – The day of the reveal of his statue was carefully chosen to give meaning to such an inconceivable loss. 2, the jersey number Gianna started to step into her father’s footsteps with, and 8 and 24 worn by the NBA legend himself.
Kobe was not only loved and admired in Los Angeles. Fans from all over the world came to be part of the ceremony that was held for the first of three statues, created to remind people of his excellence, determination, and perseverance.
The pedestal on which the 4000 pound and almost 19 feet tall bronze statue resembles the moment after Kobe had scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006, was actually chosen by Kobe before his death.
“For the record, Kobe picked the pose you’re about to see”, states his widow Vanessa Bryant at the podium, “so if anyone has any issues with it, tough s***t. It is what it is.”
January 26, 2020, was a dark day for anyone who ever witnessed the baller take sports, and life’s philosophy, to new levels. One can only hope, those who look up to the statue will adopt Kobe’s Mamba Mentality and recognize the possibility of their own potential. A legacy only a Kobe Bryant could leave behind.
Statue erected at the crash site in 2020.
The revealing marks the first of three statues slated for erection at Crypto.com Arena.
The first statue is in honor of Bryant’s 81-point game, the second statue will be of Bryant and his daughter Gianna and a third statue will have Bryant in the No. 24 jersey.
These statues of Kobe Bryant will join fellow Laker legends Shaquille O’Neal, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Chick Hearn and Elgin Baylor with statues outside the home of the LA Lakers, Clippers, Kings and Sparks.
Other sports heroes honored outside the arena include boxing icon Oscar De La Hoya, NHL’s “Great One” Wayne Gretzky – who had a stint with the Los Angeles Kings – and fellow Kings legends Luc Robitaille and Dustin Brown.
