Someone should have run spell check on the Kobe Bryant statue.
Several errors, including misspellings of Jose Calderon and von Wafer’s names on the replica box score affixed to the statue, went viral after a German basketball journalist posted them on social media on Monday.
The statue honoring the late Lakers great was unveiled outside Crypto.com Arena in February and has been a gathering spot for fans ever since.
The errors involving Calderon and Wafer’s names were part of a replica box score engraved on one side of the statue commemorating Bryant’s 81-point game against the Raptors.
Wafer’s first name is spelled “Vom” instead of “Von”, and the word “decision” next to it is misspelled.
Calderon’s last name is also misspelled as “Calderson.”
There was a formatting error on another side of the base that listed Bryant’s accomplishments throughout his career.
“We have been aware of this issue for several weeks and are already working to fix it immediately.” A Lakers spokesperson told ESPN.
The 19-foot-tall, 4,000-pound bronze statue was unveiled on February 8 at a moving ceremony in memory of Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in January 2020 along with seven others, including his daughter Gianna.
The statue is the first of three to be erected in Bryant’s honor; locations and unveiling dates for the other two statues have not yet been determined.
One of the statues will be of Bryant wearing the number 24 uniform, and the other will be erected with Gianna.
In a speech at the ceremony, his wife Vanessa Bryant said the NBA superstar chose to pose for the statue, saying, “So if anyone has a problem with that, we’re in trouble. ” he said.
Phil Jackson, Stu Lantz, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Derek Fisher and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss all attended the February ceremony.
