What Vanessa Bryant Said at Kobe Bryant, Gigi’s Laker Statue Reveal

A statue honoring late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gigi, was unveiled outside of Crypto.com Arena on Friday.

Highlighting Bryant's pride in being a "Girl Dad" and he and Gigi's lasting influence on the growth of women's sports, the statue re-creates a famous moment of the pair smiling and hugging while sitting courtside at a Lakers game on December 29, 2019.

In an emotional speech at the unveiling, Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's wife, emphasized the importance of showing young girls they can have a future in sports.

"Sometimes, all we need is one person to believe in us, even if that one person is ourselves," she said. "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.”

A supporter of women's basketball throughout his career, Bryant's public zeal for the women's game peaked as Gigi developed into one of the best youth players in the country. Just 13 at the time of her death, Gigi would be entering her first year of college in the fall, with the Bryants "watching her on the court," Vanessa said.

Kobe and Gigi Bryant were among nine people who died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on January 20, 2020. Their legacy lives on not just through memorials, but the enduring impact the late Bryants made on women's sports and the basketball world at large.

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