Lakers Unveil Statue in Honor of Kobe Bryant at Franchise’s Stadium

It is the first of the three that will be placed in its stadium

8-02-24. The date was read in every corner of the tribute. In an event full of emotion, the Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue in honor of Kobe Bryant outside the franchise’s stadium. In it, the legendary shooting guard wears the number 8 and appears with his right hand raised towards the sky. “This moment is not just for Kobe, but for all the fans who cheered him on all these years,” Vanessa Bryant, the idol’s widow, said at the event.

“For the record, Kobe chose the stance. So if anyone has a problem with it, tough luck. “It is what it is,” Vanessa joked during the ceremony, in which she announced that in the future there will be two other statues in the Lakers stadium in tribute to the Black Mamba: one next to her daughter Gigi, who died in the same accident in helicopter in January 2020, and a third with number 24.

Legends of the franchise such as Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson attended this event, along with former teammates of Bryant such as Derek Fisher and Metta World Peace, as well as the coach who coached him in his most brilliant moments, Phil Jackson. Also his friend and colleague Pau Gasol, who won two rings with Kobe displaying exceptional chemistry on and off the court. The Catalan sat in the front row with his wife Catherine and next to Adam Silver, commissioner of the NBA.

The date chosen to commemorate Black Mamba’s sports work has to do with the numbers he used and the one Gigi, his daughter, used. And it coincides with a new anniversary of the streak of nine consecutive games in which he scored at least 40 points. Five-time champion, fourth highest historical scorer in the NBA (33,643 points) and an eternal myth for the Lakers who do not forget his fierce and tireless competitive spirit, Bryant also triumphed off the court, such as, for example, with the Oscar for best short film. animation that he won for “Dear Basketball” (2017).

The statue in all its glory (Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports)

In the recognition, Jeanie Buss, president and largest shareholder of the Lakers, assured that, despite having been in the world of sports all her life, she “never” saw “someone like Kobe Bryant.” For his part, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar pointed out that this statue reflects “the excellence”, “discipline”, “commitment” and “love for his family” that the star represented. “It was a defender’s worst nightmare,” he praised.

The base of the statue has his name “Kobe Bean Bryant,” with his nickname, “Black Mamba,” engraved below. And it is surrounded by five replicas of the Larry O’Brien Trophy. It also includes the score from his 81-point game against the Raptors in 2006, in which he immortalized the image. And it features a quote from the honoree: “Leave the game better than you found it. And when the time comes to go, leave a legend.”

Thus, on a night with the hearts of those present beating strong, Bryant joined myths such as Shaquille O’Neal, the aforementioned Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson or Jerry West, who also have his statue in the Crypto.com Arena.

MORE PHOTOS OF THE TRIBUTE

Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s wife, was one of the voices of recognition (Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports) “It was a defender’s nightmare,” said Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports)Derek Fisher, Kareem Abdul- Jabbar and Phil Jackson, during the ceremony (Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports)The full presentation, with the date chosen above (Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports)Kobe’s records, at the base of the statue

With information from EFE

2024-02-09 02:18:00
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