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Kobe Bryant will be forever immortalized in LA Lakers history. The franchise's decision to build Bryant's statue outside the Crypto.com arena is coming to fruition on Thursday.
The date was selected by keeping in mind Bryant's legacy with the numbers that he wore. The date is 2/8/24, where 8 and 24 are Kobe's numbers with the Lakers and the No. 2 is also what Bryant's daughter wore.
The two responsible for creating the statue are a couple based in Chicago: Julie Rotblatt and Omri Amrany.
One of Rotblatt and Amrany's most notable works is Michael Jordan's statue outside the Chicago Bulls' United Center.
Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's wife, and the Lakers wanted to continue Kobe's legacy with the Lakers. The Lakers previously retired his No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys.
The statue of the five-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer will be unveiled outside the Lakers’ arena on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET. The unveiling will be aired live on Spectrum SportsNet+.
Following that, the Lakers and the Denver Nuggets face each other in one of the much-anticipated games of the season. The Lakers will reportedly wear a “Mamba” uniform.
Kobe Bryant becomes sixth Laker to have a statue
Kobe Bryant isn't the only player in LA Lakers history whose legacy has been immortalized by the franchise. Before him, several legends inside and outside the game have had their statues installed outside the Crypto.com arena, which was formerly known as the Staples Center.
Magic Johnson, a five-time NBA champion with the Lakers, had his statue unveiled on the Star Plaza. The three-time NBA Finals MVP’s statue was unveiled in 2004.
Elgin Baylor's statue was erected in 2018.
The Lakers built a statue for four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal in 2017, showcasing his legendary pose of hanging on the basketball rim. Kareem Abdul Jabbar (2012), Jerry West (2011) and commentator Chick Hearn (2010) also have their statues outside the arena.
Bryant is the seventh person to have a statue outside the Lakers’ arena.
Guess the Bulls players in this quiz and it's not going to be easy!
