On Jan. 26, 2020, Basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others tragically died after the helicopter they were in crashed in Calabasas, California, on their way to a basketball playing session.
Since then, he was posthumously inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Exactly four years on this Friday, the Black Mamba legacy lives on through his NBA team, the Los Angeles Lakers, the whole of the NBA, the WNBA, and the Mamba and Mambacita Foundation.
Bryant Statue to be Unveiled in February
According to USA Today, a bronze statue of him would be unveiled by the Lakers on Feb. 8, a symbolic date for fans as - during their lifetimes - the younger Bryant used the jersey number 2, while the legendary Laker used both 8 and 24.
"Since arriving in this city and joining the Lakers organization, he felt at home here, playing in the City of Angels," Bryant's widow, Vanessa, said in a statement last August. "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."
The statue would be placed at Star Plaza outside of Crypto.com Arena, the home court of the Lakers. Six other Lakers were previously honored by statutes outside the arena.
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss also called Bryant "one of the most extraordinary athletes of all time" and one of the "most iconic individuals" in LA history.
"There is no better place for Kobe to be honored with a statue than here, at the center of our city, where everyone can celebrate him and be inspired by his incredible achievements," Buss added.
Other Mamba Nods
Aside from the monument outside Lakers HQ, the NBA renamed the All-Star MVP award to the Kobe Bryant Trophy, and it took effect the same year Bryant died.
Since the rebrand, Kawhi Leonard (2020), Giannis Antetokounmpo (2021), Steph Curry (2022), and Jayson Tatum (2023) won the trophy.
Tatum, the 2023 recipient, said that winning the Kobe Bryant Trophy was "extremely special" for him as he had a close relationship with Bryant as he entered the NBA. He scored an All-Star record of 55 points last season in Salt Lake City.
"My first All-Star Game was in Chicago in 2020 when they renamed the MVP after him," he added. "I remember telling myself that day that I've got to get one of those before I get done."
Since her husband's death, Vanessa Bryant became heavily involved with keeping his and their daughter's memory alive through the nonprofit Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation and Nike.
Meanwhile, global pop superstar Taylor Swift continued to be of support for the Bryant family after the singer was spotted wearing a necklace with a quote from Kobe which read: "Bet on yourself." Swifties quickly noticed the nod, saying that it was reportedly from a collaboration with the Bryant estate's nonprofit, Fox 11 LA noted.
During his lifetime, Kobe quickly recognized Swift's greatness, and in death, his wife and daughters became her most loyal fans, especially during the US leg of her Eras Tour.
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