The Lakers are planning to erect a statue of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi outside LA’s Crypto.com Arena on August 8, 2024. Jeanie Buss, the Club’s owner, reportedly hinted at creating a memorial to Bryant.
In January 2020, the NBA star, his 13-year-old daughter, six friends, and a pilot were killed when their helicopter crashed. According to the Daily Mail, Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, is aware of the Lakers’ plans to create a statue in his honor. The artist has yet to be chosen for the project.
Lakers fans are anxiously awaiting the presentation of a memorial statue commemorating Bryant, which has been delayed until 2024, according to reports. A popular Lakers-focused Twitter user, @LakeShowYo, addressed the issue of its absence, and received comments suggesting a 2024 wait.
Artist Dan Medina constructed a bronze statue of Bryant and his daughter Gigi at the Calabasas crash scene in California. Bryant is depicted in his Lakers uniform with his arm around Gigi, a young basketball enthusiast at the time of the accident, in the 150-pound bronze sculpture.
The message ‘heroes come and go, but legends last forever,’ as well as the names of the other crash victims – Christina Mauser, Payton, and Sarah Chester; John, Keri, and Alyssa Altobelli; and pilot Ara Zobayan – are on the base.
Fans paid their respects to the statue by laying flowers and tributes. Medina plans to build a life-size replica for downtown Los Angeles. He expressed hope that the existing statue’s spontaneous, courteous gesture would inspire other meaningful tributes.