Kobe Bryant inspired many throughout his illustrious 20-year career and has provided timeless experiences for the Los Angeles Lakers franchise and fans. As historical of a franchise as the Lakers are, Bryant has solidified himself as one of the greats that have dawned the purple and gold.
With his untimely passing in 2020, it has called for fans to reflect on his life as a whole way too soon. But, Bryant was able to build out an exceptional resume during his time in the NBA and has had both of his numbers 8 and 24 retired and been inducted into the Hall of Fame while being an 18-time All-Star, two-time Finals MVP, 15-time All-NBA, and NBA 75th Anniversary Team member in his illustrious career. Kobe and even won an Oscar in 2018 for his short film “Dear Basketball.”
That being said, it should go without saying that Bryant will eventually be honored with a statue alongside the other Lakers legends outside of Crypto.com Arena. The most recent legend to get a statue was Shaquille O’Neal, who won three championships with Bryant.
But, according to Lakers governor Jeanie Buss, it seems that the organization is not yet ready to announce when Kobe will be getting his statue, via Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.com:
“It’s too premature. It’s not for public consumption yet. Rest assured, there will be an announcement when the time is right.”
While this may upset some fans, this does not mean that a Bryant statue isn’t happening as it surely will. But for Buss, and the Lakers organization, they are not yet ready to announce when exactly it will happen. She did not expand on the reasoning behind why a statue is ‘premature’ or why it is not ready for public consumption yet, something that could puzzle fans.
There are plenty of statues outside of Crypto.com Arena that are not just Lakers legends, so perhaps there is a lot more that goes on behind the scenes in creating these engravings than what is given off. That said, fans will be left hanging and anticipating when a Bryant statue will be unveiled to cement his legacy further.
Lastly, the Lakers have done right by these legends, like Magic Johnson, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and O’Neal by giving them memorable and iconic statues. It is safe to assume that same care and attention to detail will be applied to Bryant’s statue when that time comes.
Jeanie Buss discusses what Pau Gasol means to Lakers organization
Another beloved teammate of Bryant is Pau Gasol, who won two championships alongside him in 2009 and 2010. Gasol had his No. 16 retired this past season, building to his Laker resume and Buss stressed recently his importance to the franchise throughout his time there.
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