“You didn’t guarantee a win on Kobe Day!” Adam Silver’s NBA SLAMMED for making Lakers play Jokic’s Nuggets on statue unveiling day

The first statue of Kobe Bryant was unveiled today in front of fans and former players.

“You didn’t guarantee a win on Kobe Day!” Adam Silver’s NBA SLAMMED for making Lakers play Jokic’s Nuggets on statue unveiling day

Gilbert Arenas would have preferred if Adam Silver guaranteed a win for the Los Angeles Lakers on Kobe Statue Day (image via NBA/X)

Today was the unveiling of the statue of the late great Kobe Bryant. The Los Angeles Lakers had determined today as the day of the unveiling. Today the Lakers were going up against the Denver Nuggets. Considering the Lakers’ current state of play, former player Gilbert Arenas asked why they chose to unveil it today of all days. And he was right, as the Nuggets beat the Lakers in their home. On Kobe Day. Arenas questioned why Adam Silver couldn’t have guaranteed the Lakers to celebrate the day with a win.

Basically, Arenas alluded that Adam Silver could have played his hand in ensuring that the Lakers won against the Nuggets today. That is if he wanted the day to finish in the most poetic fashion. Instead, the Lakers struggled against the defending champions. Wearing Black Mamba jerseys to commemorate the day was not enough. Arenas preferred if they had won the game. It would have been the fitting tribute to the late great Lakers icon.

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Bryant’s wife Vanessa Bryant revealed the day of the unveiling of Kobe Bryant’s statue in August of last year. The 8th of February, 2024 was to be the day. The schedule indicated that it would be against the defending champions. The Lakers were also the beneficiary of three days of rest prior to the game. The unveiling would have been complete if the Los Angeles Lakers won.

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The 19-foot, 4,000-pound bronze statue of Kobe Bryant was unveiled today outside the Crypto.com arena. Hundreds of fans and former Lakers players gathered to chant ‘Kobe, Kobe’. This is the first of three statues of Bryant. The dates for the remaining statues have not been decided.

Why the Los Angeles Lakers lost against the Denver Nuggets

Analysts said that the Los Angeles Lakers were the winners of the off-season. Hence, a rematch between last season’s Western Conference Finalists was supposed to be the best game to commemorate the day. Who knew the Lakers would struggle this mightily? Languishing in 9th place in the Western Conference against a team that needs no introduction.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost the game against the Denver Nuggets on the day of the unveiling of Kobe Bryant's statue
The Los Angeles Lakers lost the game against the Denver Nuggets on the day of the unveiling of Kobe Bryant’s statue (image via Denver Nuggets/X)

The Lakers were without D’Angelo Russell who was nursing a sore knee. Replacement starting guard Max Christie couldn’t finish the first half due to injury. Despite the efforts of LeBron James and the Lakers to rally in the fourth quarter, it was not enough to beat Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. The Nuggets won the game 114-106 on the back of top-level performances from their superstars.

The Lakers could have won the game had they been fully healthy. Gilbert Arenas only wanted Adam Silver to guarantee it.

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