Lakers plan correction to Kobe Bryant’s statue
The Los Angeles Lakers have acknowledged several errors on the base of the recently unveiled Kobe Bryant statue and are planning to rectify them.
Among the mistakes are misspellings of former NBA players Jose Calderon and Von Wafer’s names, as well as an error in the phrase “Coach’s Decision” on a rendering of the box score from Bryant’s 81-point game in January 2006. Additionally, there are minor formatting errors elsewhere on the busy base, which showcases many of Bryant’s achievements.
“We have been aware of this for a few weeks and are already working to get it corrected soon,” stated the Lakers in a released statement.
The marble base of the 19-foot bronze statue features the box score of Bryant’s historic game, where he scored the second-highest points in NBA history. Despite the errors, hundreds of fans gather daily around the statue, which stands alongside several others honoring Los Angeles sporting legends outside the arena.
Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, revealed that the statue is the first of three renderings of Bryant planned to stand outside the downtown arena. The Lakers unveiled the initial statue on February 8th to honor Bryant, who tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in January 2020, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others.
Bryant spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers, winning five championships and becoming the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history.
