The Los Angeles Lakers paid tribute to fallen legend Kobe Bryant on Friday. This came in the form of a life-size statue of the Hall of Famer with his daughter Gigi, which was unveiled on 8/2/24 -- an homage to Kobe's No. 8 and No. 24 jersey numbers, as well as Gigi's No. 2 jersey.
Kobe's widow, Vanessa Bryant, was in attendance during the private event as the statue was unveiled near the Los Angeles Kings' 50th anniversary monument outside Crypto.com Arena.
Vanessa took to Instagram to post a couple of moving photos of herself and her daughters posing in front of the statue. Unsurprisingly, it got NBA fans all emotional as the heartbreak of Kobe and Gigi's deaths four years ago all came rushing back.
"My favorite one so far. As a father this fills me with so much emotion. I still shed tears for those two," said a fan.
"Rest in peace to Kobe and GiGi tonight we take it slow…" read a response.
"She’s kept it real in his passing. I got nothing but respect for Vanessa Bryant. RIP Kobe 🪽🙏🏻" said a supporter.
"I give her props! She has been there for her daughters! It hasn’t been easy! But she is holding it together! Her oldest is amazing! I’ve seen a lot of comments since Kobe died, fans others being rude, asking her about remarrying and other things! It’s disgusting! #strongmother " read a comment.
The statue that was unveiled on Friday is the second of three sculptures that the Lakers will use to pay tribute to one of the greatest to ever don the purple and gold. The third one will reportedly be revealed next season.
Kobe and Gigi Bryant died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, in January 2020. The tragedy claimed the lives of seven other victims.
Vanessa and Kobe were married for 19 years before Bryant's death. They have four daughters: Natalia (21), Gigi (passed away at age 13), Bianka (7) and Capri (5).
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