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Kobe Bryant statue to be unveiled by Lakers on August 8, 2024

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Updated09 Aug 2023

Kobe Bryant statue to be unveiled by Los Angeles Lakers on August 8, 2024

A Kobe Bryant statue will finally be unveiled by the Los Angeles Lakers on August 8, 2024, according to a trusted source that informed DailyMail.com. This date was chosen to honor his Lakers jersey Nos. 8 and 24.

Both numbers were retired by the Lakers on December 18, 2017. Note that the image above by Shahin Ourian is not a photo of the actual statue.

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss revealed plans to erect a statue for Bryant after he, his 13-year-old daughter, Gigi, six friends, and a pilot died in a helicopter crash in January 2020.

The anonymous source told DailyMail.com that Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, is involved with the plans and also added that an artist for the piece has not yet been chosen.

Per multiple NBA betting sites, the Los Angeles Lakers hold seventh-shortest odds to win next season’s championship in 2024. Sportsbooks are showing better odds for the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, and Golden State Warriors.

In January 2022, a 160-pound bronze statue of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gigi, was placed at the helicopter crash site where they perished alongside seven others on a hillside in Calabasas.

A week ago, Buss was asked when Bryant would receive a Lakers statue. “It’s too premature. It’s not for public consumption yet,” she said. “Rest assured, there will be an announcement when the time is right.” If this source from DailyMail is reliable, L.A. brass picked the perfect date.

Black Mamba would become the sixth Lakers player and seventh person associated with the organization to receive a statue in his honor. The six Lakers statues outside the Crypto.com Arena belong to Magic Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal, and broadcaster Chick Hearn.

NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant statue to be unveiled by Los Angeles Lakers on August 8, 2024, to honor jersey Nos. 8 and 24

Furthermore, Bryant was selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Bobcats (Hornets) in the 1996 NBA Draft out of Lower Merion High School. The 18-year-old phenom was then traded to the Lakers. Bryant is the first guard in NBA history to play 20 seasons.

The Pennsylvania native made 1,146 starts in 1,346 career games in his 20-year career with L.A. The 18-time All-Star averaged 25 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 36.1 minutes per game. Also, the legend shot 44.7% from the floor and 32.9% beyond the arc.

Additionally, Bryant won five NBA championships, four MVPs, and two Finals MVPs with the Lakers. The two-time scoring champ received 15 All-NBA selections and won four All-Star Game MVP awards as well. In 2021, he was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.


Meanwhile, Lakers guard Austin Reaves was asked Tuesday by Sports Illustrated whether future NBA Hall of Famer LeBron James deserves a statue outside Crypto.com Arena.

“He came to L.A. at a time where wasn’t having much success and 2-3 years put a banner in the rafters, so why not?” Reaves said. “In my opinion, he’s the greatest player to ever play the game. You can argue it for sure because there’s been some really good players.

“But you know, I’ve always said that you can name the best person at scoring, rebounding, bla, bla, bla, and you could argue that LeBron can compete at the top in all those categories. So yeah, why not?”

Since James is still playing, the Kobe Bryant statue should be a top priority.

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