Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant now stands immortalized with his first statue unveiled on Thursday, February 8, outside the team's current home venue, Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center), affectionately dubbed as "The House That Kobe Built."
The bronze statue, towering at 19 feet (5.79m) and weighing 4,000 pounds (1,841 kgs), depicts Bryant wearing the no. 8 jersey in the Lakers' Sunday Whites attire, with his right index finger raised triumphantly in the air, paying homage to a defining moment in his illustrious career.
It captures Bryant's iconic pose as he walked off the court after his remarkable 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006.
This historic performance ranks as the second-highest scoring feat in NBA history, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain's legendary 100-point game in 1962. Some critics argue that Bryant's accomplishment is more impressive because it happened in the sport's modern era.
Vanessa Bryant, the widow of Kobe, disclosed plans for two additional statues to honor her late husband. One statue will feature Kobe alongside their daughter Gianna, who also tragically lost her life in the helicopter crash in January 2020 that took away the five-time NBA champion.
Another statue will showcase Kobe wearing his iconic No. 24 jersey during the latter half of his storied career. The poses of the next two statues will be revealed in the future.
The exact timing for unveiling the two additional Kobe Bryant statues is yet to be determined, as confirmed by the Lakers.
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3 Poses we want to see for Kobe Bryant's next Lakers statue
1. Fadeway in the No. 24
If there were to be a quintessential Kobe Bryant statue, it would likely feature his iconic fadeaway move, a signature maneuver through which he accumulated many of his points over his illustrious 20-year career.
Particularly lethal in the latter stages of his career, Kobe utilized this move to great effect, relying on his basketball intelligence as a substitute for diminishing athleticism to consistently inflict damage on opposing defenses.
2. Outstretched arms after winning the 2010 NBA Championship
Kobe's triumphant stance atop the scorer's table after clinching victory in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics could be another candidate for his second statue.
The 18-time NBA All-Star considers this championship the sweetest among his five rings, as it was secured against their perennial rivals, who had dealt them a massive beatdown in the Finals just two years earlier in 2008.
In this iconic pose, Bryant's arms are outstretched with the game ball in his left hand, donning a championship hat while confetti cascades from the rafters.
3. Playing basketball with Gianna
Kobe and Gianna bonded over basketball, and a particular moment showing them doing it in public was during the warmups of the 2016 NBA All-Star Game in Toronto, which was the Black Mamba's final appearance in the exhibition game.
This could be a viable option for the planned statue between the father-daughter duo, as it showcased their love for each other and passion for the game.
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