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Ever since Kobe Bryant retired from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016, many fans have wondered when he will be immortalized with a statue outside of Crypto.com Arena.
Erecting statues is something the Lakers have done for many of their greatest legends, including Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. Legendary play-by-play announcer Chick Hearn also has a statue.
The question of when Bryant will receive one has seemingly been asked even more often ever since he and eight others died in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
Finally, it looks like the Lakers have set aside a specific date next summer to unveil a statue of the “Black Mamba.”
Via Daily Mail:
“The promised Kobe Bryant statue outside LA’s Crypto.com Arena will incorporate his daughter Gigi and – in a nod to his jersey numbers, 8 and 24 – will be unveiled by the Lakers on August 8, 2024, an inside source has told DailyMail.com,” wrote Russ Weakland and Alex Raskin.
Bryant played 20 seasons in the NBA, all with the Lakers, and he helped lead them to five world championships. He is generally considered one of the 10 greatest basketball players and arguably the greatest player in franchise history.