Kobe Bryant Bronze statue at Crypto.com Arena 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue of Kobe Bryant on Thursday, honoring their late superstar with a 19-foot bronze likeness outside their downtown arena.

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.

The statue unveiled at the ceremony depicted Bryant wearing the No. 8 on his uniform.

But his widow Vanessa Bryant said there will be three statues - the others with him wearing No. 24 and with Gianna, his daughter who was killed in the same helicopter crash that took Kobe's life in 2020. The others were not displayed at the ceremony.

"Because fans all over the world and the City of Angels loved Kobe so much, he will have three statues in front of the arena - also known as the house that Kobe built," Vanessa said.

Vanessa said Bryant himself played a role in designing the statue.

"For the record, Kobe picked the pose you're about to see," she said. "So if anyone has any issues with it, tough (expletive). It is what it is."

The statue includes details such as the names of Kobe's daughters tattooed on his arm, his five championship trophies and a QR code that fans can scan to watch Kobe highlights. The statue sits on a triangular base, a nod to the triangle offense developed by Jackson and Tex Winter.

The statue will be available for public viewing starting Friday morning at Crypto.com Arena.

Experience the magic of the Kobe Bryant statue unveiling at Crypto.com Arena. Pay homage to a Lakers great and celebrate his enduring legacy!

Other speakers at the ceremony included team owner Jeanie Buss, Kobe's former teammate Derek Fisher, team icon Kareem Abdul Jabbar and former coach Phil Jackson.
In attendance in the audience were former Laker greats such as Magic Johnson, Pau Gasol and Robert Horry, as well as NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Also attending was former Lakers player and executive Jerry West, who played a key role in scouting Kobe in high school and convincing the team to trade for him.