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Surprise! Kobe Bryant will have three statues outside arena in LA

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LOS ANGELES — The date is 2-8-24, numbers synonymous with Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. It’s only appropriate that the team decided to unveil Bryant’s statue on this date.

Or should we say, statues.

Bryant’s widow Vanessa revealed Thursday night that the five-time NBA champion would have three statues. The first, unveiled before the Lakers’ game against the Denver Nuggets, shows Bryant wearing the No. 8 jersey in a pose from his 81-point game, a pose Vanessa said he chose.

The second will be of Kobe and daughter Gianna, who died with her dad and seven others in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020.

And the third will be of Kobe in jersey No. 24.

The Bryant statue is located at Star Plaza outside of Crypto.com Arena and Vanessa said all three would be there, although there was no timeline given for when the remaining bronze likenesses will be revealed.

Bryant is the seventh Lakers icon commemorated with a statue. He joins Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West and Chick Hearn. 

‘The statue is a wonderful contradiction. It captures a person frozen in time. While at the same time acknowledges that the reason that there is a statue in the first place is because that person is timeless,’ Abdul-Jabbar said Thursday. ‘We’re all here to honor a man who represents not just extraordinary sports achievement, but also timeless values that inspires us all to try harder to be not just better but our best.’

Black Mamba uniforms

In addition to the statue reveal, the Lakers sported Kobe-inspired Black Mamba uniforms in Thursday’s game against the Nuggets.

Bryant helped design the “Black Mamba” uniform. It features snakeskin-themed black print and drop shadows on the jersey numbers. The uniform also has “LA 24” on the belt and Bryant’s Nos. 8 and 24 under the flap of each leg of the shorts.

Kobe Bryant’s lasting legacy

Bryant won five NBA championships, was a two-time Finals MVP and an 18-time All-Star all as a member of the Lakers. He retired in 2016 as one of the best basketball players in NBA history.

Bryant was posthumously voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

“Kobe had so many people who have supported him all over the world from the very beginning. This moment isn’t just for Kobe, but it’s for all of you that have been rooting for him all of these years,” Vanessa Bryant said Thursday.

“To the fans here in LA, this is a special city Kobe was so proud to represent. You welcomed him with open arms and have been so important to him, our family and his legacy.”

Follow Tyler Dragon on social media @TheTylerDragon

This post appeared first on USA TODAY