Kobe Bryant's illustrious legacy will forever be immortalized as the Los Angeles Lakers will unveil a statue in his honor outside the Crypto.com Arena.
The said statue will rise on Feb. 8, 2024, which also represents the jersey numbers of Kobe's late daughter Gianna and the Black Mamba himself — both of whom tragically died in a helicopter crash in 2020.
In a video released by the Lakers on 'Kobe Day,' Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's widow, made the special announcement on behalf of the organization and her family.
"As you know, Kobe played his entire 20-year NBA career as a Los Angeles Laker. Since arriving in this city and joining the Lakers organization, he felt at home here, playing in the City of Angels," Bryant said.
"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 a statue so that his legacy can be celebrated forever," she added.
Drafted 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996, Bryant was traded to L.A. where his two-decade NBA run began and flourished.
Five championships, a league MVP nod, and one immeasurable career later, Kobe's posthumous statue will forever stand at the heart of the house that he himself built.
Notable Lakers legends such as Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O'Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jerry West, and Chick Hearn have previously received similar honors.
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