The Los Angeles Lakers unveiled the 19 feet statue of Kobe Bryant on Thursday, immortalizing roughly the best player of the franchise. Many allusions regarding the statue but none was for sure how his statue was made. The Lakers honored the late legend with a 4,000-pound statue. Th statue depicts Kobe Bryant with his right index finger up after his 81 point performance against the Raptors.

More to come

During the dedication ceremony, Bryant's widow, Vanessa, stated that the statue is the first of three to be erected to honor the five-time NBA champion and Lakers' all-time leading scorer. Another statue will portray Bryant in his No. 24 jersey, which he wore for the second part of his career, and a third will show Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, who died in a helicopter accident with him and seven others in January 2020. 

“This statue may look like Kobe, but really it’s what excellence looks like,”  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said

Honored with dignity

The ceremony of unveiling the statue of Kobe Bryant was attended by a handful of Lakers legends and figure and hundreds of fans. Vanessa Bryant spoke at the ceremony, after statements from club owner Jeanie Buss, former player Derek Fisher, Abdul-Jabbar, and veteran Lakers coach Phil Jackson. Bryant retired in 2016 after spending his entire 20-year career with the Lakers. He is the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history, with 33,643 points, and he has received 18 NBA All-Star selections and two NBA Finals MVP honors.

The statue's foundation says "Kobe Bean Bryant," with his nickname, "Black Mamba," etched beneath. The triangular platform, a tribute to Jackson assistant Tex Winter's renowned triangle offense, which was the foundation of the Lakers' dominance in the 2000s, is encircled by five Larry O'Brien Trophy replicas.

The base displays the box score from his 81-point game as well as a QR code that allows fans to see performance highlights. A remark from Bryant is also included: "Leave the game better than you found it." And when it's time to depart, leave a tale."

Tragic Passing 

His death has done nothing to lessen the radiance of his presence in Los Angeles, where he is still regarded as a revered icon of his chosen city. Bryant and his daughter appear in hundreds of vivid public murals around the Southland.

Even before Bryant died, Lakers fans speculated about the stance or picture that would be memorialized in his monument. While the introduction of three monuments changes the issue, Vanessa Bryant believes there should be no dispute at all because Kobe picked the posture for the first statue before his death.

Read our blog to be connected with real time news.

Follow us on our social networks for better updates Instagram;  Facebook;  X

img via :AP