Lakers set to unveil Kobe Bryant statue

The Los Angeles Lakers will wear the “Black Mamba” jerseys Kobe Bryant had a hand in creating on the night the NBA Hall of Famer will be honored with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena.

The ceremony fittingly takes place Thursday, a calendar date of 2-8-24 which represents both the numbers Bryant wore as a player and the number his daughter Gianna, who was killed with Bryant in a 2020 helicopter crash, wore as a young basketball player.

Bryant’s statue will take its place among six other Lakers legends to be commemorated, joining Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jerry West and Chick Hearn.

The unveiling is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. at Star Plaza outside the arena. Public access will be restricted as tickets are required to attend the event.

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“Fans are encouraged to watch the unveiling of the Bryant statue live on Spectrum Sports,” a statement from the Lakers read. The event will also be streamed here live on KTLA.com with coverage beginning at 3:30 p.m.

In honor of Bryant, the Lakers will be clad in their Black Mamba uniforms when they take the court against the Denver Nuggets a few hours later.

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The popular Black Mamba uniforms feature a snakeskin-like black print with “LA 24” on the belt and the numbers 8 and 24 under the flap of each leg of the shorts.

The uniforms were inspired by Bryant’s 20-year career with the purple and gold and debuted on Jan. 26, 2018.

They were also worn during the 2020 NBA Playoffs, which ended with the franchise winning its 17th NBA Championship.

Bryant, an 18-time NBA All-Star, retired as the first player in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons with a single franchise.

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