The unveiling of the second statue of Kobe Bryant outside the Crypto.com arena was a private event, yet it felt personal for many. Before the official reveal, a glimpse leaked online and the statue melted fans’ hearts. Tributes were paid worldwide, and the current Purple and Gold superstar, who previously promised to continue his legacy, also sent a message from Paris.
LeBron James was 16 years old when Kobe Bryant showed up during the 2001 ABCD camp, where he “soaked in every word.” Now, being a veteran, LeBron is spending time with many younger athletes at the Paris Olympics. However, honoring Kobe took precedence as he shared the Lakers’ post of the statue on his Instagram Stories and used the “Infinity sign,” signifying the impact of the Black Mamba will be forever.
The Lakers wrote in the post, “The Bryant Legacy 🖤🦋,” uploading 3 photos on the carousel post, the first where the statue was based. An instance when Kobe Bryant was spotted wearing an orange WNBA hoodie to a game with Gigi in 2019. The second photo also featured another game snippet where the 5x NBA champion was kissing his daughter’s forehead. Lastly, the photo of the statue.
There is also a plaque in front of the statue that reads, “Gianna Bryant, Inspirational Icon for Girls in Sports, and Kobe Bryant, Proud Supporter of Women in Sports.”Jeannie Buss, the franchise owner, was also present for the private ceremony and expressed her happiness while speaking about the statue. “I couldn’t be happier with how the statue has turned out.” Nonetheless, this wasn’t the first time that The King honored his former teammate’s legacy.
In January 2020, 2 days after Kobe Bryant’s death, LeBron took to Instagram and wrote a long post to express his admiration for him. ” I promise you I’ll continue your legacy man! You mean so much to us all here especially #LakerNation💜💛 and it’s my responsibility to put this sh** on my back and keep it going!!”
Stating it was difficult for him to express himself at the time, as he would keep on crying and writing his feelings, he ended the post with, “There’s so much more I want to say but just can’t right now because I can’t get through it! Until we meet again my brother!! #Mamba4Life❤️🙏🏾 #Gigi4Life❤️🙏🏾.” And he has carried on the legacy. The Lakers won the long-awaited 17th title in 2020 itself, making it the perfect tribute to arguably the greatest Laker of all time.
It was Vanessa Bryant, wife of Kobe, who had said that there would be 3 statues in total honoring the legacy. The first one featured with the number 8 jersey when he scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. The statue’s installation date holds special significance, as 8/2/24 honors both numbers Kobe wore during his career with the Purple and Gold, which are 8 and 24, and the number Gigi wore playing competitive youth basketball, 2.
Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.”
