Lakers News: Why Kobe Bryant's Statue Will Be Like None Before
The Los Angeles Lakers as an organization have had quite the busy past couple of years. They have been trying to built yet another championship roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, oversaw the switch from Staples Center to Crypto.com Arena and through it all, they still made sure to develop plans for Kobe Bryant's statue outside of the stadium.
There were very few icons that represented the city of Los Angeles the way the late, great Bryant did. He had his tough moments with the franchise and even had thoughts of leaving at times but he ultimately pushed through all the obstacles and helped bring the organization five championships.
Even when injuries got the best of him late in his career, he pushed through one final farewell season where he put on a show in every city and passed down his knowledge to LA;s younger players. His jersey retirement, where both number 8 and number 24 went up into the rafters, served as a reminder to the NBA world that it's almost as if he had two separate hall of fame careers.
Therefore, it is only right that he receives a statue outside of Crypto.com Arena next to the likes of Lakers legends in Shaquille O'Neal, Jerry West and more. And it looks like the Lakers plan to unveil the statue next year on August 8th along with a number of tributes to the hall of fame shooting guard.
"The date is a nod to Bryant’s two jersey numbers (No. 8 and No. 24), which were retired by the team back in 2017. The report adds that the statue of Bryant will also incorporate daughter Gigi, who died along with him and seven others in a Jan. 2020 helicopter crash. Additionally, Bryant’s widow Vanessa is said to be involved with the plans for the statue."(Via Larry Brown Sports)
This will be a special, special day!
