The Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a second statue of Kobe Bryant, the latest one also memorializing his daughter Gianna.
The statue, unveiled Friday outside Crypto.com Arena, depicts Kobe in a beanie and sweatshirt with his arm around a smiling Gianna, with the sculpture appearing to be modeled after a photo of them sitting courtside together at a Lakers game in 2019. They are surrounded by angel wings.
Kobe and Gianna Bryant were among the nine people who died in a Jan. 26, 2020, helicopter crash in Calabasas.
The second of three statues honoring Kobe Bryant sits near the Crypto.com Arena‘s 11th Street entrance and salutes his enthusiastic transition after retirement into coaching his daughter’s youth basketball team.
There is a plaque that features the quote: “Gianna is a beast. She’s better than I was at her age. She’s got it. Girls are amazing. I would have five more girls if I could. I’m a girl dad.” It is attributed to “Kobe Bryant, Most Valuable Girl Dad.” The top of the plaque features the Mambacita logo and a description of the duo that reads: “Gianna Bryant, inspirational icon for girls in sports” and “Kobe Bryant, proud supporter of women in sports.”
During a private ceremony, Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, shared why her family emphasized supporting women’s sports.
“We were faced with the harsh reality that no matter how great Gianna was or could be, no matter how great her daddy taught her how to play, or even if she played exactly like Kobe, she would not have had the same benefits and opportunities that her dad and young men currently have because she’s a girl,” Vanessa said, according to a Lakers news release. “That’s when the challenge to change the perception of women’s sports started in our household.”
Gianna would have been entering her freshman year in college next month. Her career was cut short, but her mother hopes that fans will honor the legacy of Kobe and Gianna.