The Los Angeles Lakers have honoured Kobe Bryant with a 19ft bronze statue outside their downtown arena. The 4,000lb statue portrays the late superstar in his white No 8 jersey with his right index finger raised, depicting his pose as he walked off the court after his 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006.
Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, said during the dedication ceremony that the statue is the first of three that will be created to honour the five-time NBA champion and top scorer in Lakers history. Another statue will feature Bryant in his No 24 jersey, which he wore for the second half of his career, while a third will depict Bryant and his daughter Gianna, who died with him and seven others in a helicopter crash in January 2020.