The 3 things you need to know about the LA Lakers Kobe Bryant statue

Yesterday was not only b because of the date, 8/24, which are the two jersey numbers the Lakers legend the late Kobe Bryant wore during his time in the NBA and the purple and gold, but also was the day the Lakers made the official announcement of the unveiling of Kobe's statue in front of the Crypto.com Arena.

A lot has been said about Kobe's statue, and here are three things we know so far, Besides that it has been reported include Bryant's daughter Gigi is on the statue. The first thing is that the unveiling date, 2/8/24 holds a special significance, represents the jersey number (#2) worn by Kobe's daughter, Gianna, at the Mamba Academy, and Kobe's two numbers with the Lakers, which was retired by the franchise on Dec. 18, 2017.

The second thing is that Kobe will be immortalized alongside other Lakers legends, including Elin Baylor, Shaquille O'Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, and Chick Hearn. All have bronze bousts outside Crypto.com Arena.

The third thing is that Kobe did participate in the statue's creation. According to the Lakers' press release, Bryant "participated in the initial planning" of his statue after his retirement in 2016. The statue was created by Jolie Rotblatt Amrany of the Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt Amrany. The studio has created the Magic and Kareem statues that sit outside Crypto, along with statues honoring Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Lombardi, Pat Tillman, and David Beckham, among other icons.

What fans are eager to learn from Kobe's statue

Lakers fans are eager to learn what memorable moment from Kobe's 20-year Hall of Famer career will be rendered in bronze. His point to the sky after scoring 81 points? His picture-perfect game-winner vs. the Phoenix Suns? The jersey pop? A patented fadeaway? Young Kobe soaring through the air vs. the Nets in 2001? His arms spread wide in triumph on the scorer's table after Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals? The possibilities are endless.