Lakers News: Ex-Kobe Bryant Teammate Mournful About Bittersweet Statue Unveiling

When it was announced that the Los Angeles Lakers would be unveiling a statue to honor the late Kobe Bryant in early 2024, it was met with a lot of praise from fans.

Finally, the Black Mamba would be taking his place in front of the arena where he helped win five championships. The statue will be unveiled before the Lakers home game on February 8 next season.

However, after the initial excitement, many were met with a certain level of sadness. Knowing that Bryant won’t be here in person to attend the unveiling leaves a hole in the hearts of fans.

Even former teammates of Bryant felt a similar feeling when the news came out. Former Lakers power forward Robert Horry opened up about the moment being bittersweet due to the circumstances, writes Mark Medina of SportsKeeda.

“It’s so cool that it’s 2-8-24. I’m excited. I just hope and pray that I can be a part of the festivities. I was thinking when I heard the announcement on how sad it was going to be. You always want to give the people their flowers when they’re around. You know he was going to get those when he was around. But tragically, the accident happened. It’s going to be a very, very sad day. But it’s going to be a really, really joyous day. Anytime you talk about mixed emotions, this is truly going to be one of those times.”

Per Mark Medina, SportsKeeda

Horry was teammates with Bryant for multiple years, winning three championships with him over that span. They were extremely close, so this will be a tough day for him.

“He’s part of the second so-called dynasty that the Lakers have had,” Horry told Sportskeeda. “You think about Magic [Johnson] and Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] and you think about Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal) and Kobe and Kobe and Pau [Gasol], and that crew. It’s fitting. It’s very fitting. It’s always cool when you can think about the actual day.”

Per Mark Medina, SportsKeeda

For everyone involved, it will be a tough day without Bryant in attendance. But it will be a culmination of all his incredible accomplishments throughout the years.

He is forever a massive part of the Lakers history, and this statue will always be a reminder of that fact.

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