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Lakers Video: First Of Three Kobe Bryant Statues Unveiled Outside Crypto.com Arena

Ron Gutterman
Kobe Bryant Lakers

In this powerful image, Kobe Bryant is captured walking off the court after his historic 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors. His Lakers jersey is drenched in sweat as he strides confidently towards the locker room, a slight smile of satisfaction on his exhausted face. The crowd stands in ovation behind him, while the scoreboard displays the final score of 122-104 and Bryant's astounding 81-point total. His body language tells the story of the night - shoulders slightly slumped from exertion, but head held high in triumph. Bryant's eyes shine with intensity, reflecting the fierce determination that fueled this legendary performance. Teammates trail behind, visibly awestruck, as the image encapsulates a defining moment in NBA history.

The Los Angeles Lakers faithful have been waiting years for a statue of late legend Kobe Bryant to be unveiled in the plaza outside of Crypto.com Arena. Standing next to the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and more, Bryant has impacted the Lakers franchise in a way that perhaps no other single person has.

The long wait finally came to an end on Thursday, when the Lakers unveiled a statue of Bryant in a televised ceremony. Spectrum SportsNet aired the event as part of a full day of Bryant programming. The Lakers chose Thursday, Feb. 8, due to the significance of Gianna Bryant’s No. 2 jersey alongside Bryant’s No. 8 and No. 24 uniforms.

Bryant’s statue is now forever immortalized at the downtown L.A. plaza outside Crypto.com Arena, featuring his famous point to the sky following his 81-point performance in 2006, via the Lakers:

The 81-point game pose is synonymous with the early phase of Bryant’s career, an all-around unstoppable force with a relentless mentality and a hunger to break every record the game has put in front of him.

That’s not all though, as Vanessa Bryant used part of her pre-unveiling speech to announce that the 81-point game statue is the first of three that will be built outside Crypto.com Arena. The other two will feature one wearing jersey No. 24 and one alongside Gianna Bryant:

The dates and locations of the other two statues are still to be determined, but like the No. 8 statue details perhaps the greatest moment of that era of his career, the No. 24 and the statue with Gianna is likely to do the same.

No. 24 saw Bryant go from a relentless killer on the court to a true champion and ambassador of the game. His statue with Gianna will detail the post-playing phase of his career, when he became a Hall of Fame parent to his daughters.

Derek Fisher explains what Kobe Bryant’s speech might have sounded like

Bryant’s tragic passing in 2020 adds another layer of meaning and importance to this statue unveiling, as his teammates and fans will be there to celebrate him without him being in attendance. But former teammate Derek Fisher gave some insight into what a speech from Bryant might have sounded like if he was around to deliver it.

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