On August 24, the Los Angeles Lakers announced that a bronze statue commemorating the late legendary Hall of Famer, Kobe Bryant, will be unveiled on February 8, 2024, at Star Plaza outside Crypto.com Arena.
The acclaimed sculptor Julie Rotblatt Amrany from the Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt Amrany has crafted the bronze statue of the 5× NBA champion.
The statue inaugural event is slated to take place just moments before the Lakers’ home game against the Denver Nuggets.
The date of announcement holds deep significance for Bryant fans as it aligns with the late NBA legend’s jersey numbers, 8 and 24.
The news was broken to the fans by Bryant’s widow, Vanessa on X.
Kobe’s legacy immortalized.
2•8•24 pic.twitter.com/WHQBXZJ2gD
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 24, 2023
“As you know, Kobe played his entire 20-year NBA career as a Los Angeles Lakers,” said Mrs. Bryant with a sense of happiness.
She continued:
“Since arriving in this city and joining the Lakers organization, he felt at home here, playing in the City of Angels. 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.”
Throughout their marriage, Kobe and Vanessa had four daughters together: Natalia, Gianna (who tragically passed away with Kobe in a helicopter crash in January 2020), Bianka, and Capri.
Three years ago, NBA world stood still when Kobe Bryant tragically passed away on January 26, 2020, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, USA.
The crash also claimed the lives of eight other people, including Kobe’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant.
Bryant spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
During his impeccable career, he won numerous accolades and awards, including five NBA championships, two Olympic gold medals, and two NBA Finals MVP awards.
