On Friday, the Lakers will install a statue outside Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles in honor of Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.
There will be a private ceremony under a tent to reveal the statue, which is the second in Bryant’s likeness outside the House That Kobe Built. This weekend, the statue will be open for public inspection.
It is one of three monuments that are planned in honor of the legendary Lakers player. In January 2020, while traveling to a basketball tournament northwest of Los Angeles, a chopper crashed in Calabasas, killing nine people, including the player’s daughter, Gigi.
The date of the reveal, 8/22/24, has numerical importance for both the five-time NBA champion and Gigi, a gifted young player who is frequently spotted talking about the game with her father courtside at Crypto.com Arena. Bryant began his career with jersey number eight, but later changed to number twenty-four. No. 2 jersey was on Gigi.
More information about the statue should be available Friday afternoon. Next season, a third memorial dedicated to Kobe Bryant will be unveiled.
The first statue unveiling date, 2/8/24, had the same importance. In the 19-foot bronze memorial, Bryant is shown celebrating his brilliant 81-point effort against Toronto while wearing his No. 8 jersey. widow During the event in February, Vanessa Bryant revealed that the third statue would feature Bryant wearing his No. 24 jersey.
A statue outside Crypto.com Arena honours other Laker greats, including Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, and commentator Chick Hearn.
In 2017, Bryant announced his retirement from the NBA after 20 seasons, all spent with the Lakers. The Lakers retired both of his uniform numbers. Being retired by two different teams makes him the first NBA player with two numbers retired.
