A new 19-foot-tall Kobe Bryant was unveiled by the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, Feb. 8. This new bronze sculpture was created to honor the NBA legend who died because of a helicopter crash back in January 2020
This just shows that Kobe Bryant will be remembered as one of the greatest NBA players who completely changed the basketball game that many people love across the globe. If you're one of the loyal fans of Kobe Bryant, here's everything you need to know about the new 19-foot bronze figure.
The new 19-foot Kobe Bryant statue was placed outside the Star Plaza along with other statues of popular athletes and broadcasters of Los Angeles. CBS News reported that the new sculpture was created to serve as a permanent reminder of the great legacy that Kobe Bryant left when he died.
Fans from across the world are more than welcome to visit the new statue to honor the NBA legend and "remember his incredible basketball journey."
The new statue depicting the NBA Hall of Famer is pointing up to the sky with its right hand. He is also wearing the Number 8 jersey of Kobe, which the superstar wore when he entered the NBA. For those who are unaware, Kobe came up with the number 8 jersey because of the number he was assigned when he was in the Adidas ABCD camp for high school stars.
The exact number that he was originally provided with was "143." so he decided to add the 1, 4, and 3, allowing him to come up with the No. 8 jersey for his rookie year.
According to The Associated Press' latest report, Kobe Bryant's wife (widow), Vanessa Bryant, confirmed that the new 19-foot bronze statue is just the first of the three statues depicting the NBA legend. During the unveiling ceremony, she said that two more figures will be created to honor the five-time NBA champion.
"Since arriving in this city and joining the Lakers organization, Kobe felt at home here, playing in the City of Angels," said Vanessa.
"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," she added.
Details about the two remaining statues were shared during the ceremony. Vanessa said that the second one will be featuring Kobe Bryant in his No. 24 jersey. The third bronze will be depicting the NBA superstar together with his beloved daughter, Gianna Bryant, who also died in the helicopter crash incident.
