Kobe Bryant and late daughter Gianna statue to be unveiled by Lakers outside Crypto Arena

Late basketball icons, Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant have been making headlines lately after their recent statue was unveiled by the Lakers.

Kobe Bryant and late daughter Gianna statue to be unveiled by Lakers outside Crypto Arena

Gianna Bryant and Kobe Bryant (Image Credits: Los Angeles Times)

The Los Angeles Lakers are commemorating basketball icons Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant with a revered memorial. According to a report by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the statue—one of a three-piece set was supposed to be unveiled on Friday for the second time. The ceremony was small-scale and meant just for family and close friends. However, the basketball community would have to wait a bit longer to see this particular statue.

Another important date in February (2/8/24) saw the unveiling of the first Bryant memorial at Crypto.com Arena. The 4,000-pound, 19-foot-tall bronze memorial features Bryant wearing his No. 8 jersey as per Yahoo Sports. In this recreation of an image from his 81-point effort against the Toronto Raptors in 2006, he is staring up toward the heavens.

The second of three planned Kobe Bryant statues will be unveiled in a private ceremony on Friday outside Crypto.com Arena, sources told ESPN. This one features Bryant and his daughter, Gianna
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote on X

In addition, the third statue is expected to be presented at a later time and will feature Bryant wearing his No. 24 jersey from the last ten years of his 20-year Lakers career. One of history’s most revered and idolized basketball players, Bryant has influenced tens of thousands of young people participating in international basketball leagues.

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Kobe Bryant “dared” people to be their “best selves”

The late Kobe Bryant was one of the most hard-working and determined basketball players to grace the sport. Notably, Bryant was also a selfless player who cared about his teammates being at their best. Interestingly, Bryant wrote in one of his books, “The Mamba Mentality” on how he dared his teammates to be their “best selves” on and off the court.

I liked challenging people and making them uncomfortable, that’s what leads to introspection and that’s what leads to improvement. You could say I dared people to be their best selves.

Kobe Bryant wrote in his book

In addition, one could also say this particular approach worked out pretty well for Bryant and his basketball career.

Bryant’s gameplay was all about a top mentality and immense leadership. In addition, Bryant’s leadership approach required effort. After all, the best way to challenge someone will vary depending on their personality, strengths, and areas for improvement and this is exactly what the late Lakers legend used to do back in his time.

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