The Lakers unveiled their second statue of Kobe Bryant, and the first to include Gianna Bryant, in a private ceremony outside Crypto.com Arena on Friday, featuring two composite photos of father and daughter taken courtside at a Lakers game.
“The statue celebrates Kobe’s love for his daughters and recognizes his unwavering pride as a ‘girl dad’ and the Bryant family’s support for women and girls in sports,” the Lakers said in a statement. “The tribute recognizes Kobe and Gianna’s incredible basketball achievements and the heartwarming relationship Kobe shared with his four daughters.”
Kobe and Gianna Bryant died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, along with seven other people.
“Gianna is amazing,” Bryant’s words are on a plaque on the front of the statue. “She’s better than I was when I was her age. She’s amazing. Girls are amazing. I’d love to have five more girls if I could. I’m a father of girls.”
The Lakers intentionally unveiled the statue on Aug. 2, 2024, blending Bryant’s jersey numbers 8 and 24 with the number 2 that Gianna will wear.
The same date combination was used for the unveiling of Bryant’s first statue – of him posing in his No. 8 jersey after his 81-point game in 2006 – on Feb. 8, 2024.
According to ESPN, the Lakers plan to unveil the third statue during the 2024-25 season.
He is the only Lakers player with multiple statues, but six others have been erected outside Crypto.com Arena.
Vanessa Bryant spoke to a small group of family and friends at Friday’s unveiling.
“We combined two of Kobe and Gigi’s iconic moments,” she said. “Gianna has her gorgeous smile and Kobe is wearing the Philadelphia Eagles beanie that Gigi gave him for Christmas and kissing the top of her head. He’s also wearing the WNBA hoodie that he wore courtside at the game with Gigi. Kobe was the first NBA player to wear that orange hoodie at a big game, to show his support for Gigi’s dreams and women in sports. It’s a moment he shared with Gigi and will be a powerful representation of the movement for equality that has always been so important to our family.”
“We faced the harsh reality that no matter how great athlete Gianna was, no matter how great she could have been, no matter how well her father taught her, or even if she played exactly like Kobe, because she was a girl, she would never have the same benefits or opportunities that her father and young men currently have. That’s when the challenge began in our household to change the perception of women’s sports. Gianna will be a college freshman this year, and we knew we would watch her shine on the court. Now her spirit shines through the path she created for young girls and women in sports.
“In honor of Kobe and Gigi, I ask of you: Take time for young girls. Support them. Tell them they can do anything and more than men can. Because they can, and they always have and they always will. Iron sharpens iron. Re-invigorate that confidence and see how much they grow. Sometimes all we need is just one person who believes in us, even if it’s just ourselves. Take your girls to women’s sports. Buy tickets to a game if you can. Watch women’s games on TV with your daughters, nieces and cousins. When young girls see professional women play, they will know that they can be like them. They will know that their ambitions aren’t just dreams, they can be a reality. Raise the next generation of athletes. That’s what Gigi and Kobe would have wanted for us. Kobe was the ultimate girl dad and Gigi was the ultimate daddy’s girl.”
