Lakers unveil statue of Kobe Bryant, daughter Gianna outside arena, memorializing iconic courtside photos

When the Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a Kobe Bryant statue outside of Crypto.com Arena in February, Vanessa Bryant, his widow, revealed that two more statues were on the way. In a private ceremony on Friday, the first of those final two statues was unveiled -- a beautiful memorialization of Kobe and his daughter, Gianna (Gigi). 

The statue, which the Lakers announced will be available for public viewing beginning on Saturday at 9 a.m. PT, represents the merging of two photos taken of Kobe and Gigi as they sat courtside at Lakers games, including the final game they attended in December 2019. Bryant, Gigi and seven others died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020.

"Celebrating Kobe's love for his daughters, the bronze statue recognizes his unwavering pride in being a "Girl Dad" and the Bryant family's support for women and girls in sports," the Lakers said in a statement. "The tribute represents Kobe and Gianna's exceptional basketball legacy and the uplifting relationship Kobe shared with all four of his daughters."

In front of the statue, at the base, is a plaque with a quote from Kobe speaking about his daughter and the basketball talent that was just beginning to bloom in her: "Gianna is a beast. She's better than I was at her age. She's got it. Girls are amazing. I would have five more girls if I could. I'm a girl dad." 

Speaking to an intimate group of friends and family at the unveiling, Vanessa Bryant said the following:

"[For the statue] ... We merged two iconic courtside moments of Kobe and Gigi. Gianna has her gorgeous smile on her face and Kobe is kissing the top of her head while wearing the Philadelphia Eagles beanie that Gigi gifted him for Christmas. He's also wearing a WNBA hoodie he wore courtside to the game with Gigi. Kobe was the first NBA player to wear that orange hoodie to a big game and that was to show his support for Gigi's dreams and for women across all sports. That was a moment he shared with Gigi that will always be a powerful representation of the movement towards equality that was always so important to our family."

"We were faced with the harsh reality that no matter how great Gianna was or could be, no matter how great her daddy taught her how to play, or even if she played exactly like Kobe, she would not have had the same benefits and opportunities that her dad and young men currently have because she's a girl. That's when the challenge to change the perception of women's sports started in our household. Gianna would be going into her first year of college this year. We would be watching her shine on the court. Now her spirit is shining a path she has created for young girls and for women in sports.

"In honor of Kobe and Gigi, I ask you this: give young girls your time. Give them your support. Tell them they can do anything any man can do and tell them they can exceed that, because they can, they have and they will. Iron sharpens iron. Reassure that confidence and see how much they thrive. Sometimes, all we need is one person to believe in us, even if that one person is ourselves. Take girls to watch women play sports. Buy those tickets to the game if you can. Watch women's games on TV with your daughters, nieces and cousins. If young girls can see professional women play, they know they have the potential to be them. They know those ambitions aren't just dreams but will become a reality. Let's build up the next generation of athletes. It's what Gigi and Kobe would want us to do. Kobe was the ultimate Girl Dad and Gigi was the ultimate Daddy's girl."

The first statue, which featured Bryant wearing a No. 8 jersey, was unveiled on Feb. 8, 2024. That date -- representing the once-in-a-century date markers of 2-8-24 -- holds a special significance to the franchise as it represents the two numbers worn by Bryant (No. 8 and No. 24) and the number worn by Gigi (No. 2).

It is not a coincidence that the Lakers stayed the numerically significant course by unveiling the second statue on Aug. 2 (8-2-24).

ESPN reports that the third statue will be unveiled during the 2024-25 season. According to Vanessa, it will feature Bryant wearing No. 24.

The first statue's pose is the same one Kobe took as he left the floor following his famous 81-point game in 2006.

Bryant is the seventh Laker legend to get a statue. The first six were Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal and announcer Chick Hearn. Bryant will be the first player to get multiple statues, though, just as he was the first Laker to have multiple jersey numbers.