The Los Angeles Lakers finally unveiled their Kobe Bryant statue outside of the Crypto.com Arena aka ‘The House that Kobe built.’ Of course many were in attendance for the ceremony with the likes of Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher speaking while Lamar Odom, Metta World Peace and, of course, Pau Gasol were in the audience.
The friendship between Gasol and Kobe is well known at this point. Gasol was acquired by the Lakers in 2008 and the two immediately clicked as teammates on the court, helping the Lakers to back-to-back NBA Championships in 2009 and 2010. But the two grew even closer as friends away from the court with Gasol being very open about how hard he took the tragic death of the icon.
There was never a chance that Gasol wouldn’t be in attendance to witness the statue being unveiled, a ceremony which he called beautiful on social media along with a quote Lakers broadcaster Stu Lantz said during the ceremony directed at Kobe’s widow, Vanessa Bryant:
So many emotions yesterday. Such a beautiful unveiling ceremony! I’m so proud of you brother. #MAMBAFOREVER 💜💛
“Beside every great man, there’s a great woman”, well said #StuNantz. Nothing could be more true, Vanessa ❤️ pic.twitter.com/qWD87ZL15M
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) February 9, 2024
Gasol has remained extremely close with the Bryant family ever since Kobe’s death, regularly positing photos and videos with Vanessa and the Bryant children. When it comes to being a true friend, Gasol has shown exactly why he is so beloved by everyone.
The Kobe Bryant statue is a beautiful one and is just the first as there will be two more coming. One of those will be from Kobe’s 24 era while the other will be with him and daughter Gianna, who also passed in that tragic helicopter crash.
The ceremony, as Gasol said, was a beautiful bringing up some beautiful stories and memories of the Lakers legend and it still doesn’t feel real that he is no longer here. But thanks to people like Pau Gasol, his legacy will never be forgotten.
Rob Pelinka wants Kobe Bryant statue to be place where his presence is always felt for Lakers fans
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was also one of Kobe Bryant’s closest friends and he hopes this statue will be a place where fans can come and feel Kobe’s presence and inspiration.
“Much like some of those trips I would take with him to see a piece of art, you would often feel like you were in the presence of the artist even though the artist wasn’t there,” Pelinka said.
“I hope that’s what that place and that statue becomes for his fans around the world. Just a place to go and feel his presence and feel his inspiration in our lives. That’s certainly what was running through my mind as I was sitting there with my family, taking in a beautiful moment.
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