Kobe Bryant 1st statue unveiled by Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a 19-foot bronze statue of the legendry player Kobe Bryant on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena.
Bryant was portrayed wearing the No. 8 on his uniform in the statue that was unveiled during the ceremony.
The 19-foot-tall, 4,000-pound bronze statue, created by Julie Rotblatt Amrany, commemorates one of Kobe Bryant’s most iconic moments in his illustrious career. It depicts Bryant’s career-high and franchise-best 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006, when he led the Lakers to a 122-104 victory.
The statue of Kobe Bryant, with his right arm raised and wearing the number eight jersey, is surrounded by five championship trophies, which stand for the five titles the Lakers won during Bryant’s tenure. All four of the Bryant daughters’ names are displayed as tattoos on the statue arm, although three of them had not yet been born when Bryant scored his 81 points. The Bryant family requested this as a private memento for Kobe.
The statue’s triangle-shaped base, which pays homage to Phil Jackson’s triangle offense and Tex Winter, is engraved with the nickname “Black Mamba” for KOBE Bryant and features numerous awards from his 20-year NBA career. The base features a quote from Kobe Bryant, “Leave the game better than you found it. And when it comes time for you to leave, leave a legend.”
“I’m thankful for all the fans, “Kobe has so many people that have supported him all over the world from the very beginning and this moment isn’t just for Kobe, but it’s for all of you that have been rooting for him all of these years. And to the fans here in LA, this is a special city Kobe was so proud to represent. It brings me joy to see how much love you have for all of us. We love you back.” Vanessa Bryant said during the unveiling.
In addition to honoring the numbers 8 and 24, which Bryant wore throughout his career, today’s unveiling date holds particular significance as 2/8/24, in memory of his daughter Gianna Bryant’s basketball career.
Bryant has been recognized with a statue in Star Plaza outside of the Staples Center, making him the seventh team member and sixth player overall to receive this honor. Along with him are Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and Chick Hearn, the Lakers announcer.
The statue is a destination for basketball enthusiasts worldwide to visit and commemorate Bryant’s incredible journey, as well as a permanent reminder of his extraordinary Lakers legacy. Fans can access a brief Antoine Fuqua tribute film, narrated by Denzel Washington and produced by Kevin Mann and Jake Pushinsky, by scanning the QR code on the base of the statue. The film covers all the points Bryant made on the evening of January 22, 2006.
The statue that was unveiled on Thursday is open to the public starting on Friday morning.
After retiring, Bryant became the first player in NBA history to play for a single team for at least 20 seasons. He was an 18-time All-Star. Known for his “Mamba Mentality,” he won Finals MVP awards in 2009 and 2010 and assisted the Lakers in winning five NBA Championships (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010).
Bryant was named to 12 All-Defensive Teams during his career, including nine All-Defensive First Team selections. He was voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2008 and was honored with 15 All-NBA selections, including 11 First Team selections.
Tonight, the Lakers will celebrate this historic occasion on the court by donning the Black Mamba uniforms, which Kobe Bryant co-designed after he retired. Inspired by Bryant’s 20-year career with the purple and gold, the Black Mamba jerseys originally made their debut during the 2017–18 season as the team’s first City Edition uniform. They feature a snakeskin-like print and a “LA 24” on the belt.