The Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue of Kobe Bryant at the Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, which will be available for public viewing starting Friday. The 4,000-pound sculpture captures Bryant in his No. 8 Lakers jersey, with his right index finger raised in tribute to his 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006. The statue's design was a closely guarded secret, surprising even the photographer whose work it was based on. Vanessa Bryant revealed plans for two more statues to honor the legend. The date of the unveiling, 2/8/24, symbolically includes the No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys worn by Bryant and the No. 2 jersey worn by his daughter Gianna. The statue also features intricate details such as the names of Kobe’s daughters tattooed on his arm and his five championship trophies. Despite the excitement, many fans were disappointed that the ceremony was not open to the public. Bryant is now the sixth Lakers player and seventh team employee commemorated with a statue in Star Plaza.
Kobe statue and Lakers-Nuggets vlog: Behind the scenes at the unveiling and the WCF rematch https://t.co/bCaDgWK679 https://t.co/UBbeqWIHsX
Even the @kobebryant statue is acknowledging @WWERomanReigns #TheBloodline @HeymanHustle @TheRock ☝🏼 https://t.co/P3Gi7sdGzK
Late US basketball legend Kobe Bryant has been immortalised at https://t.co/R9CBq4neMe Arena - formerly known as the Staples Centre - in Downtown LA. The statue is one of three to be unveiled - one of which will feature the Lakers star and his daughter, Gianna. #9News https://t.co/pY27owaKPg
#GALLERY: The Los Angeles Lakers have unveiled a statue of the late Kobe Bryant this week, immortalising the NBA legend outside the https://t.co/JRLotrfLSL Arena in Downtown LA. It's the first of three statues planned in his honour. #9News https://t.co/icKQEnCFJb
Kobe Statue the next day https://t.co/Jso2ltYAmK
Lakers fans explain why the new Kobe Bryant statue in front of https://t.co/miIWybE2q8 Arena in Los Angeles means so much. https://t.co/7H6AHB4LRi
The statue in honor of Kobe Bryant outside Crypto .com Arena 🐍 https://t.co/tajnCdNCos
Kobe Bryant forever https://t.co/AdusThsdWB #Lakers
Among the hundreds lined up outside https://t.co/kEUxmNiIIX Arena to see the new statue of Kobe Bryant was Moe Freeman, a fan who met Kobe through Make A Wish https://t.co/sWT3aYKdLw https://t.co/4jjZSj3lbd
While unveiling Kobe Bryant's statue, Vanessa Bryant said that Kobe picked its pose. "So if you don't like it, tough sh*t." Within 24 hours, Nike has made her a custom hoodie: https://t.co/ZkFNQBh2f6
Nike Gifts Vanessa Bryant 'Tough S***' Hoodie After Kobe Statue Unveiling | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/44M6elAniv
Lakers fans gathering around Kobe Bryant’s statue for the first time. Magic Johnson called it “the best statue I’ve ever seen.” https://t.co/X9mJT3cqTs https://t.co/M8IBZgKcPG
My story recapping a poignant ceremony for Kobe’s statue unveiling: https://t.co/rarBCzP3zl
Lakers News: Phil Jackson Supplies Touching Tribute At Kobe Bryant Statue Ceremony https://t.co/EecN1XMW1S
Kobe Bryant statue!💜💛🐍 The statue has special details like the names of Kobe’s daughters tattooed on his arm, his five championship trophies and QR codes that fans can scan to watch Kobe’s highlights. There will eventually be three statues. They’ll include Kobe wearing Number… https://t.co/wiQtw3yqgg
Mamba now lives forever outside the Crypto Arena. 🥹🙌 (🎥: @Lakers) https://t.co/08m4xKhgDC
Fans are gathering to see Kobe Bryant's statue and chanting "Kobe! Kobe!" 🥹 (via @malika_andrews) https://t.co/jGmPnVYybw
The crowd gathering to see Kobe Bryant’s statue in Star Plaza. Intermittent chants of “Kobe! Kobe!” https://t.co/Zb3mmW0Ffu
I’m so happy to see Kobe’s legacy live on. Can’t wait to see the other statues to come, especially the one of him with his daughter so their memory can continue to live on. https://t.co/F37cbv1B31
Kobe's statue can officially be seen in Star Plaza 🐍⭐️ 🎥 @Lakers https://t.co/CnWPwWJFpD
Vanessa Bryant shared an emotional speech Thursday night outside the Lakers arena in a ceremony unveiling Kobe Bryant's statue. https://t.co/Oe7BrWUnzb
The statue depicts @kobebryant with his right index finger raised as he walked off the court following his 81-point performance against the @Raptors in January 2006. #NBA #LakeShow https://t.co/wV7FHMN85I
We headed out to https://t.co/ZdpWgeSxO6 Arena for Kobe Bryant’s statue unveiling and asked Lakers fans their favorite Kobe moment of all time! @noisebynoel Drop your favorite Black Mamba moment in the comment section🐍💜💛 https://t.co/NZHaumcz1C
The Mamba is forever etched in LA ♾️ 🎥: @Lakers https://t.co/OEWHNGTuqo
The Mamba lives forever 🐍♾️ 🎥: @Lakers https://t.co/nLCfziTJHN
And there it is! SkyFOX shows an aerial view of Laker fans lined up to see the first Kobe Bryant statue outside the https://t.co/bcA7bn8vZd Arena. https://t.co/DQGaTIUPJC
The house that Kobe built 💛 (via @Lakers) https://t.co/M2cSg1jtJV
Pau Gasol on Kobe's statue unveiling 🥹 (via @paugasol) https://t.co/QvhbpNqHs2
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 ❤️ https://t.co/qWD87ZL15M
KOBE! KOBE! Fans are lining up outside the https://t.co/lYnTnVxz1f Arena to see the Kobe Bryant statue. @MarioFOXLA reports from downtown LA. https://t.co/Y4ec9cyOcA https://t.co/PQ3KiKZES5
Pau Gasol comforts the late Kobe Bryant's daughter Natalia as they watch the Lakers play after ceremony honoring her father with a statue - four years on from his shock death at 41 in a California helicopter crash https://t.co/4vgbkWyxWd https://t.co/NbCV8166yo
Jeanie Buss at Kobe Bryant statue unveiling: "I think of Kobe constantly & miss him & Gigi more than words can say. But today I am filled with joy because in the future I know fans will gather here in the shade of this statue." My dispatch for @ticketrules https://t.co/X9mJT3cqTs
The Lakers unveiled the statue outside of https://t.co/zwEyUdsQYj Arena. The date of the unveiling — 2/8/24 — incorporates the No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys Bryant wore with the Lakers and the No. 2 that his daughter Gianna wore on her youth basketball team. https://t.co/CXpum68Seb https://t.co/EywPvcyzUr
REMEMBERING KOBE💜💛 @mtelles gave us an up-close look at the #KobeBryant statue in front of @cryptocomarena: https://t.co/OKfnq7znQE https://t.co/29Ns9a7ea5
Just over four years after a helicopter crash that took his life, the Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue of Kobe Bryant. | By @TNelson2024 https://t.co/K0beHnS89r
Kobe Bryant fans were left disappointed after finding out a statue unveiling ceremony was private https://t.co/33ww6Y7Ccs https://t.co/ZI7VngtayY
Vanessa Bryant Shuts Down Critics of New Kobe Statue During Unveiling — See the Moment Here: https://t.co/sCoTe4qLuX
Fans are upset at this statue because they think it doesn’t look like Kobe Bryant at all. Thoughts? 🤔 https://t.co/kAUCVnXdI2
Thank you “X” family for the Kobe reminder! 🐍🖤 #MambaMentality https://t.co/HAYcArggfm
Kobe Bryant statue available for public viewing outside https://t.co/lYnTnVx1bH Arena starting Friday. https://t.co/Mp9AxWxWbK Click the image to read more:
Lamar Odom to @Sportskeeda on Kobe Bryant's statue unveiling: "I’m glad I was here for this day. He was here right now with us." Caron Butler on what he thinks Kobe's message would've been: "Just continue to be great." https://t.co/TIqkMPbc3O
I had the pleasure of meeting @kobebryant a month before he passed away. The unveiling of his statue at Staples center last night made me remember how it felt to be standing across from greatness. He embodied the word in every way. He had a special aura. It’s hard to explain.… https://t.co/OyiD7XQo5f
The @Lakers unveiled the Kobe statue at https://t.co/usHffDPf5I Arena 💜 💛 In this week's #SBJ, @TomFriendWriter does a deep dive on the statue's designers, Julie Rotblatt-Amrany and Omri Amrany ⬇️
The 4,000-pound statue depicts Bryant in his white No. 8 jersey with his right index finger raised as he walked off the court following his 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006. https://t.co/OhKXzzLkBy
Vanessa Bryant Had Perfect NSFW Quote for Critics of Kobe Statue https://t.co/RkFfDVx24j
Nike’s copywriting is so incredible. The Lakers revealed their Kobe statue, so Nike bought ad space near it, saying “the statue is down there. The bar is up here.” https://t.co/QQ8bIMPC7u
Bryant is the sixth Lakers player and seventh team employee to be honored with a statue in Star Plaza outside of the arena. https://t.co/5UiBUPi8Tn
As Kobe Bryant fans came together to celebrate the statue unveiling of the former basketball great, many were disappointed after finding out the ceremony was invitation only and closed to the public https://t.co/33ww6Y74mU https://t.co/QoP0qp6cib
According to Bryant's widow, Vanessa, two other statues will be created to honor the basketball legend. https://t.co/Ip6k7kdkEk
New story: The Kobe Bryant statue designs were so top secret that even the photographer whose photo the piece is based off of didn’t know what it would be until the curtain came down https://t.co/gdxcafa2r2
The Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue of Kobe Bryant wearing the No. 8 on his uniform at https://t.co/ZwqMqUaGQS Arena on Thursday. 💜🏀💛https://t.co/GOounhTkHm https://t.co/nJSdqSZa6p