The NBA plans to honor Kobe Bryant by erecting a statue of him at the Lakers Arena in 2023.
Before Bryant and his daughter died in a helicopter in 2020, they were flying to a basketball competition together with seven other people when their helicopter crashed in California.
Bryant was also involved in the initial planning of his statue after his retirement earlier in 2016. Kobe is the sixth former Lakers player and team employee seventh player to be honored with a statue in the Lakers Star Plaza just outside the arena, which has served the Lakers family house since 1999.
The news was announced by the late player's wife, Vanessa Bryant, The statue will be unveiled by the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday the 8th of February 2024. According to CNN.
"Kobe Bryant had played his entire NBA career of 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers, he felt at home playing here in the city of Angeles on behalf of my daughter, the Lakers, and me, we are so honored that we are going to unveil a statue of Kobe right in front of the place known as the home that was built by Kobe Bryant, to make his legacy be forever celebrated. I hope to see you at the event,” Bryant said, sitting in front of the new Ultimate jersey numbers in a video that was posted by the Lakers on Thursday.
The Lakers also assured that the bronze statue will be placed at the Star Plaza just outside of the Lakers Arena before the event of the night’s home game.
The Lakers have announced that they will be creating a statue to honor the legacy of NBA 18-time All-Star Kobe Bryant. This will be the first physical tribute dedicated to him. The team believes that there is no better way to honor Kobe than by placing a statue right in front of the City of the Lakers, the home that he helped build. By doing so, Kobe will be celebrated by everyone, and his iconic achievements will continue to inspire others.
The governor of Lakers Jeanie Buss said, “Kobe Bryant was one of the most iconic and extraordinary athletes of all time and one of the most peculiar individuals in the whole of Los Angeles history."
Kobe Bryant's legacy remains undisputed by basketball enthusiasts and players alike. Since his passing, numerous individuals have paid their respects to the late star through various initiatives. These gestures even include some NBA players who have chosen to honor Kobe's memory by adopting his name as their own.
The Unveiling Date Of The Statue Holds A Ultimate Significance
The proposed date for unveiling the iconic statue on 02/08/24 is a distinguished date for both the Lakers family and the Bryants as Kobe wore two jersey Numbers (No. 8 and No. 24) through each half of his Lakers career, while his daughter Gianna wore the No. 2 jersey while playing youth basketball.
Bryant's statue will be placed alongside other Lakers greats icons like Shaquille O'Neal, Elgin Baylor, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, and broadcaster Chick Hearn.
The Lakers Star Plaza also includes statues of the Los Angeles Kings' Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille, Dustin Brown, champion boxer Oscar De La Hoya, and announcer Bob Miller.