9 Insights on Kobe Bryant's Statue Unveiling Ceremony
1. Ceremony Time and Venue
Kobe Bryants statues unveiling ceremony took place on February 8, at 6:00 p.m. ET or 3:00 p.m. PT, at the Crypto.com Area of Los Angeles.
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Pinterest
2. Announcement
Late Kobe Bryants wife, Vanessa Bryant, along with the Lakers announced the unveiling of his statue.
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Pinterest
3. Significance of date
February 8 was chosen as the date for a couple of reasons. Kobe Bryants jersey number was 8 when he played for the Los Angeles Lakers. Gigi Bryant, his late daughter, wore the number 2 on her jersey when playing basketball, therefore February was finalized.
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Pinterest
4. Lakers Team Involvement
Bryant had designed the black mamba jersey for the Lakers team, which they adored for the 2017-18 season. After the passing away of Kobe Bryant in 2020, the team brought the jerseys back. The Lakers team members will be wearing the same black jerseys in honor of Kobe Bryant during the game after the ceremony.
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X/Lakers
5. Speakers
Before the unveiling, several individuals spoke at the ceremony. Jeanie Buss was the first speaker, after which Derek Fisher, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Phil Jackson, and Vanessa Bryant spoke for a few minutes each.
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X/Lakers
6. Statue's Pose
The pose of Kobe Bryants statue had been in discussions prior to the unveiling as teammates and others were guessing which stance Bryant would be depicted in. The pose that was finalized is inspired by his 81-point game of 2006.
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X/Lakers
7. Kobe Bryant's Quote
Underneath Kobe Bryants statue, a banner with his quote was placed which Vanessa Bryant referred to during her speech. Quote: Leave the game better than you found it. And when it comes time for you to leave, leave a legend.
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X/Lakers
8. Series of Statues
Vanessa disclosed that 3 statues of Kobe would be placed in front of the arena: one that has been revealed, the other wearing jersey no. 24, and another with his daughter Gigi (who passed away in the same helicopter crash).
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X/Lakers and Pinterest
9. Symbolic of Legend's Presence
The statue will serve to both honor the player and to provide spectators with the comfort of a symbol of his presence.
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X/Lakers
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