Kobe Bryant Statue Unveiled at Crypto.com Arena to Forever Honor Lakers Legend

A statue honoring Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was revealed at the Star Plaza located outside the Crypto.com Arena on Thursday. This monument will serve as a permanent tribute to Kobe’s incredible basketball journey and allows fans worldwide to honor and remember his lasting Lakers legacy. The Crypto.com Arena already boasts statues dedicated to other Lakers greats, such as Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, and the legendary announcer Chick Hearn. 

The unveiling ceremony took place on “Mamba Day,” a special day celebrated annually on August 24th in recognition of the two uniform numbers Bryant wore during his illustrious career, 8 and 24. In a heartfelt video shared on social media, Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, expressed her gratitude for the statue. She mentioned that since joining the Lakers organization, Kobe felt at home in Los Angeles, and having his statue unveiled at the heart of the city, in front of the house he built, is an enormous honor for her and her daughters.

Shortly before the Lakers’ game against the Denver Nuggets at 3:30 p.m., the bronze statue was revealed to the public. Due to the ceremony, access to the statue was limited during the event. In homage to Kobe Bryant and his iconic “Black Mamba” persona, the Lakers players wore their Kobe-inspired jerseys throughout the game, which were first introduced during the 2017-18 season.

Kobe Bryant, famously known as the “Black Mamba” throughout his Hall of Fame NBA career, tragically passed away on January 26, 2020, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others.

Kobe’s contributions to the Lakers were extraordinary and resulted in the retirement of both his jersey numbers in 2017, making him the first player in NBA history to have two numbers retired by the same team. He wore the number 8 from 1996 to 2006 and switched to number 24 for the remainder of his career. Bryant shattered numerous Lakers records, including the all-time leader in games played, minutes played, field goals, and 3-point goals. His 33,643 points scored during his Lakers tenure solidify him as the highest-scoring player in the franchise’s history. Only LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record last year in the league.