Lakers, Vanessa Bryant announce Kobe Bryant statue to be unveiled outside arena on Feb. 8, 2024
Kobe Bryant's memory will be cemented in the form of a statue that's set to be unveiled on Feb. 8, 2024, the Los Angeles Lakers and Vanessa Bryant announced in a release Thursday.
The Feb. 8 ceremony will be outside of Crytpo.com Arena and details will be released in the months prior. Tickets for the event and the entire Lakers season go on sale Aug. 25, according to the release.
After the statement, the Lakers released a video to fans at 8:24 a.m. PT.
"As you know, Kobe played his entire 20-year NBA career as a Los Angeles Laker," Vanessa Bryant said. "Since arriving in this city and joining the Lakers organization, he felt at home here, playing in the City of Angels. On behalf of the Lakers, my daughters and me, I am so honored that, right in the center of Los Angeles, in front of the place known as the house that Kobe built, we are going to unveil his statue so that his legacy can be celebrated forever."
Kobe’s legacy immortalized.
2•8•24 pic.twitter.com/WHQBXZJ2gD— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 24, 2023
Bryant retired from professional basketball after the 2015-16 NBA season, becoming the first player in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons with a single franchise. The two-time Olympic gold medalist and Hall of Famer helped lead Los Angeles to five NBA championships (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010), earning Finals MVP honors in 2009 and 2010.
The statue was created by sculptor Julie Rotblatt Amrany of the Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt Amrany, and Kobe Bryant had the opportunity to participate in its planning shortly after his retirement, according to the release.
His Nos. 8 and 24 jerseys were retired in December 2017. The date of the statue reveal also features No. 2, which his daughter, Gianna Bryant, wore on her sports jerseys.
Kobe, Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. They were headed to the Mamba Sports Academy, where Kobe was going to coach Gianna and the Mamba Ballers in a youth basketball game.
They were both remembered with a public memorial held at the then-Staples Center on Feb. 24, 2020, when Gianna's No. 2 jersey and Kobe's No. 24 jersey were honored. During Chicago's NBA All-Star Game in February 2020, Team LeBron wore No. 2 jerseys in honor of Gianna, while Team Giannis wore No. 24 for Kobe.
2/8/24 - An honor fit for a legend. pic.twitter.com/NQXS1MXHve
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 24, 2023
A temporary statue was placed at the site of the crash in Calabasas, California, on the two-year anniversary of their passing last year. The 160-pound bronze fixture shows Kobe Bryant in his Lakers uniform with his arm around Gianna, who is also wearing a basketball uniform with a basketball in her hand. It includes the names of all nine victims on a plaque.
Created by sculptor Dan Medina, the statue couldn't stay at the site permanently. The decision was made by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, which controls the land where the crash occurred.
"I kind of want to follow the law, respect the locals, respect the Santa Monica Mountains," Medina said via the Los Angeles Times. "The flowers, the jerseys, the hats blow away, and I think we need something more permanent."
Now, Bryant will be immortalized closer to the arena where he made his legacy. The statue is just the first effort in a series of forthcoming physical tributes in his honor, according to the Lakers' statement.
