Kobe Bryant Statue: Shaquille O’Neal Pays Powerful Tribute With TNT For His Brother In Prime and Crime

It is finally the day when the NBA will forever immortalize the legacy of Kobe Bryant outside ‘the house that Kobe built’. The Lakers will unveil his statue on Feb. 8, 2024, outside of the Crypto.com Arena prior to the team’s game against the Denver Nuggets. As a result, his legacy will forever be enshrined in bronze alongside the likes of Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jerry West, and announcer Chick Hearn. On this momentous occasion, Shaq paid a heartwarming tribute to his “Bean“, with merely a few hours left for his statue to be unveiled.

The NBA on TNT posted an edit of Kobe Bryant with a voiceover by Shaq in which he said, “5-time champion, 18-time All-Star. The face of the Lakers for two decades. He was the most competitive player I’ve ever seen and the best teammate I’ve ever had. Now he joins basketball royalty with an official shrine in LA. Let this statue make one thing clear: Kobe Bryant is forever.”

The tribute carries even greater emotional weight considering their turbulent history. Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant were embroiled in one of the NBA’s most notorious feuds during their tenure as teammates on the Lakers. Despite their on-court success, winning three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002, their relationship was marred by what coach Phil Jackson described as a “juvenile” feud. This discord ultimately led to the dissolution of the Kobe and Shaq Lakers in 2004, when O’Neal publicly demanded a trade to the Heat.

Although both players found individual success afterward, O’Neal harbors regrets about allowing the tension to linger. He had hoped for a reconnection with Kobe as they grew older, but his sudden demise robbed them of that opportunity.

Details about Kobe Bryant’s statue reveal

Four years ago, in January 2020, Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others were tragically killed in a helicopter crash in the mountains northwest of Los Angeles. Bryant was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. Now, his legacy will endure eternally with the unveiling of his statue at the Star Plaza.

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The significance of the unveiling date (08-2-24) cannot be overstated. Kobe Bryant wore No. 8 for the first decade of his career, and No. 24 until his retirement. Additionally, the No. 2 pays homage to Gianna Bryant’s jersey number. The event is scheduled to commence at 3 p.m. PT, just hours ahead of the Lakers’ matchup against the Denver Nuggets. Alongside the statue reveal, the Lakers will honor Kobe’s legacy by donning the Kobe-designed Black Mamba uniforms during the game. These uniforms feature an “LA 24” inscription on the belt and Nos. 8 and 24 underneath the flap of each leg of the shorts.

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Fans can watch the live coverage of the event on Spectrum SportsNet. Public access to Star Plaza has been denied due to event staging and loadout; however, the statue will be available for public viewing beginning Friday morning.