Vanessa Bryant’s touching response to the statue tribute of Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant…
Today, a private event outside Crypto.com Arena revealed a new statue of the late Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. The sculpture portrays Kobe at the sidelines with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, embracing and kissing her on the head. Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, was photographed alongside the statue.
In an Instagram post, Vanessa Bryant smiles while standing next to the statue, captioning it simply: “❤️Kobe & Gigi ❤️.”
The statue, the second dedicated to Bryant outside what was formerly known as the Staples Center, was revealed during a private ceremony under a tent and will be available for public viewing this weekend. It depicts Bryant with his arm around Gigi, seated courtside at a Lakers game on December 29, 2019.
This is one of three planned tributes honoring the Lakers legend, who, along with his daughter Gigi and seven others, tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in Calabasas in January 2020 while en route to a basketball tournament northwest of Los Angeles.
The unveiling occurred on a numerically significant date for both the five-time NBA champion and his daughter Gigi: 8/2/24. Bryant wore No. 8 early in his career before changing to No. 24, while Gigi wore No. 2.
A statue of Kobe and Gianna is also located at the Calabasas crash site. Created by artist Dan Medina, this statue depicts Kobe and his daughter sharing a smile and includes a plaque with the names of the seven other victims.
The first statue unveiling was also symbolically significant, occurring on 2/8/24. This 19-foot bronze statue showcases Bryant in his No. 8 jersey, honoring his impressive 81-point game against Toronto. During the February ceremony, Vanessa Bryant noted that the third statue will portray Bryant in his No. 24 jersey.
