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Kobe Bryant, new touching statue with Gigi in front of Lakers stadium: very sweet tribute in Los Angeles
New moving statue in honor of Kobe Bryant near the Lakers facility. The sculpture dedicated to the unforgettable five-time NBA champion who died in 2020 in a tragic helicopter accident in which his daughter Gigi also lost her life.
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The sweet hug between Kobe and Gigi
And Gigi herself is the star, along with her father Kobe, of the statue that was inaugurated at the beginning of August in front of the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The two were embraced, seemingly sitting side by side, wrapped in angel wings, with Kobe smiling and kissing his daughters forehead.
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A special date
The inauguration date, 8/2/24, was not random, but was chosen specifically to honor the champion and his daughter. Eight and twenty-four, respectively, were Bryant’s career jersey numbers, while Gigi wore two.
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The job
Designed by Karon Davis, the sculpture was created by artists at Rotblatt Amrany Studio and sees Kobe and Gigi sitting next to each other, united in a sweet embrace.
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Vanessa’s words and the symbol on the back of the statue
As revealed by the champion’s wife, Vanessa, the statue “combines two iconic courtside moments of Kobe and Gigi. Gianna has her beautiful smile on her face and Kobe kisses her head while wearing the cap of the Philadelphia Eagles that Gigi gave him for Christmas. He also wore a WNBA sweatshirt that he wore to courtside games with Gigi. He was the first NBA player to wear the orange sweatshirt in a big game and he did it to show his support for Gigi’s dreams and girls in all the games. It was a moment he shared with her and always a strong representation of the movement towards of equality, which has always been important in our family.
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The plaque and Kobe’s words
At the foot of the statue we read the message: “Gianna Bryant, inspirational icon for girls in sports. Kobe Bryant, proud supporter of women in sports.” Added a phrase from the NBA champion dedicated to his daughter: “Gianna is an animal. He was better than me at his age. It’s his. Women are amazing. I would have had five more if I could.”
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The first statue honoring Kobe
Outside the arena in Los Angeles there is a statue depicting the legend of the Lakers and world basketball.