When the Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a Kobe Bryant statue outdoors of Crypto.com Area in February, Vanessa Bryant, his widow, revealed that two extra statues had been on the way in which. In a non-public ceremony on Friday, the primary of these remaining two statues was unveiled — a fantastic memorialization of Kobe and his daughter, Gianna (Gigi).
The statue, which the Lakers introduced might be obtainable for public viewing starting on Saturday at 9 a.m. PT, represents the merging of two images taken of Kobe and Gigi as they sat courtside at Lakers video games, together with the ultimate recreation they attended in December 2019. Bryant, Gigi and 7 others died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020.
“Celebrating Kobe’s love for his daughters, the bronze statue acknowledges his unwavering delight in being a “Lady Dad” and the Bryant household’s help for girls and ladies in sports activities,” the Lakers stated in a press release. “The tribute represents Kobe and Gianna’s distinctive basketball legacy and the uplifting relationship Kobe shared with all 4 of his daughters.”
In entrance of the statue, on the base, is a plaque with a quote from Kobe talking about his daughter and the basketball expertise that was simply starting to bloom in her: “Gianna is a beast. She’s higher than I used to be at her age. She’s received it. Women are superb. I might have 5 extra ladies if I may. I am a woman dad.”
Chatting with an intimate group of family and friends on the unveiling, Vanessa Bryant stated the next:
“[For the statue] … We merged two iconic courtside moments of Kobe and Gigi. Gianna has her attractive smile on her face and Kobe is kissing the highest of her head whereas sporting the Philadelphia Eagles beanie that Gigi gifted him for Christmas. He is additionally sporting a WNBA hoodie he wore courtside to the sport with Gigi. Kobe was the primary NBA participant to put on that orange hoodie to an enormous recreation and that was to indicate his help for Gigi’s goals and for girls throughout all sports activities. That was a second he shared with Gigi that may at all times be a robust illustration of the motion in direction of equality that was at all times so necessary to our household.”
“We had been confronted with the cruel actuality that irrespective of how nice Gianna was or could possibly be, irrespective of how nice her daddy taught her easy methods to play, or even when she performed precisely like Kobe, she wouldn’t have had the identical advantages and alternatives that her dad and younger males presently have as a result of she’s a woman. That is when the problem to alter the notion of ladies’s sports activities began in our family. Gianna can be going into her first yr of school this yr. We’d be watching her shine on the court docket. Now her spirit is shining a path she has created for younger ladies and for girls in sports activities.
“In honor of Kobe and Gigi, I ask you this: give younger ladies your time. Give them your help. Inform them they will do something any man can do and inform them they will exceed that, as a result of they will, they’ve and they’re going to. Iron sharpens iron. Reassure that confidence and see how a lot they thrive. Generally, all we want is one particular person to consider in us, even when that one particular person is ourselves. Take ladies to look at girls play sports activities. Purchase these tickets to the sport should you can. Watch girls’s video games on TV along with your daughters, nieces and cousins. If younger ladies can see skilled girls play, they know they’ve the potential to be them. They know these ambitions aren’t simply goals however will change into a actuality. Let’s construct up the subsequent era of athletes. It is what Gigi and Kobe would need us to do. Kobe was the last word Lady Dad and Gigi was the last word Daddy’s woman.”
The primary statue, which featured Bryant sporting a No. 8 jersey, was unveiled on Feb. 8, 2024. That date — representing the once-in-a-century date markers of 2-8-24 — holds a particular significance to the franchise because it represents the 2 numbers worn by Bryant (No. 8 and No. 24) and the quantity worn by Gigi (No. 2).
It’s not a coincidence that the Lakers stayed the numerically vital course by unveiling the second statue on Aug. 2 (8-2-24).
ESPN experiences that the third statue might be unveiled in the course of the 2024-25 season. In line with Vanessa, it can characteristic Bryant sporting No. 24.
The primary statue’s pose is identical one Kobe took as he left the ground following his well-known 81-point recreation in 2006.
Bryant is the seventh Laker legend to get a statue. The primary six had been Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal and announcer Chick Hearn. Bryant would be the first participant to get a number of statues, although, simply as he was the primary Laker to have a number of jersey numbers.
