Bryant’s first statue stands 19 feet tall and depicts his famous pose after scoring 81 points against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006. When Bryant checked out of the game for the final time, he raised his index finger to the sky as fans gave him a standing ovation for his historic performance. The pose was picked by Bryant himself, Vanessa revealed, prior to his passing in 2020.
The statue was designed by artist Julie Rotblatt Amrany and combines elements that both Kobe and Vanessa Bryant suggested. The pose was picked by Kobe, but Vanessa implemented several fascinating details.
This includes an inscription of accolades collected by Bryant throughout his career, a QR code to a highlight video, a triangular statue base as an homage to Jackson and Tex Winter’s triangle offense and a replica of Bryant’s five championship trophies.
The statue is an encapsulation of everything Bryant meant to the Lakers organization and fanbase. And there are still two more statues to come to honor the greatest player in franchise history.
