One of Los Angeles’ most beloved icons will be receiving one of the greatest and lasting gifts his former home could bestow.

Basketball Hall of Famer and former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, whose death in a helicopter accident just over four years ago shook the core of the city, will have a statue to represent him placed outside of Crypto.com Arena — known as Staples Center when Bryant played there. That statue will be unveiled in a ceremony on Thursday starting at 3:00 p.m. before being available for public viewing on Friday.

Bryant was one of the most skilled scorers in basketball history, dazzling spectators with the otherworldly athleticism he had in his younger years wearing number 8 for the Lakers and the graceful footwork and skill he leaned on in his older years wearing 24 for the Purple and Gold, winning five championships along the way.

But perhaps the thing that Bryant was most famous for was his “Mamba Mentality,” an intense and almost insane drive to achieve the goals he set for himself. Many of his fans have taken that as inspiration to work hard and push through adversity to succeed in whatever they do.

He was poised to continue inspiring those who admired him while championing the progress of women’s basketball for his four daughters. One of those daughters — Gianna — was with him on January 26, 2020 when the helicopter they were in crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, killing both Bryants and the other eight people on board, including the pilot.

The shock from his death quickly permeated throughout Los Angeles, and people flocked to Crypto.com Arena to grieve his passing. A makeshift memorial was made at the site in honor of Bryant and his daughter, and murals celebrating him began appearing all around the city in the days and months following his death.

The date for the unveiling ceremony, February 8, 2024, was chosen for a specific reason. Eight and 24, the day and year that the ceremony is scheduled, represent the numbers Bryant wore for the Lakers. Gianna wore the number 2 while playing basketball for her team.

It will be unveiled at Star Plaza in front of Crypto.com Arena, where statues of other iconic Los Angeles sports figures like fellow Laker legend and former teammate Shaquille O’Neal, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, and boxing icon Oscar De La Hoya can also be found. 

Bryant was often compared with Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, and the same designers who were responsible for the iconic statue of Jordan outside of the United Center — Omri Amrany and Julie Rotblatt Amrany — put together the statue for Bryant. The spousal duo has also done statues for other high-profile sports figures, including Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki and football legend Vince Lombardi.

Tickets for the ceremony were not released to the public, but fans can watch the ceremony on Spectrum Sportsnet and Spectrum Sportsnet+ starting at 3:00 p.m., and other news channels like Fox 11 will also be streaming the event.

“Once unveiled, the statue will serve as a permanent reminder of Kobe’s great Laker legacy,” a release from the NBA said, “where fans from around the world can honor him and remember his incredible basketball journey.”

Photo by BalkansCat