Even on a day of celebration, the basketball world’s eyes are numb. On August 2nd, the Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a new statue of the late Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna outside the Crypto.com Arena. The Bryant family and friends gathered to witness this poignant moment in a private ceremony. As the basketball world mourns the loss of the legend once again, they shared their love and gratitude, with Scottie Pippen joining the chorus of grief.

Reflecting the widespread emotions, Scottie Pippen posted two photos on Instagram: one of Kobe and Gianna, and another of the statue, accompanied by a heartfelt message, “The new statue of Kobe and Gianna at Crypto Arena is a moving tribute to the bond of father and daughter. It shows their unbreakable bond and the strength of family. (red heart emoji) Forever in our hearts.” This touching tribute from Pippen encapsulates the shared grief and admiration felt by the entire basketball community.

The statue also includes a plaque with a Kobe quote about Gigi. “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.” Furthermore, Vanessa Bryant, the widow of Kobe, delivered a heartfelt speech during the unveiling.

According to her, “Kobe was the ultimate Girl Dad and Gigi was the ultimate Daddy’s girl.” The statue’s installation date holds special significance, as 8/2/24 honors both numbers Kobe wore during his career with the Purple and Gold, which are 8 and 24, and the number Gigi wore playing competitive youth basketball, 2.

Additionally, the statue will be open and available for public viewing starting on August 3rd. Earlier this year, the Lakers unveiled the first Kobe Bryant statue outside the arena at Star Plaza, making him the seventh Laker to be commemorated with a statue.

Returning to Scottie Pippen, his seven children also referred to him as a “great dad”. His eldest son with Larsa Pippen, Scotty Pippen Jr., is a hot property in the NBA right now. Despite facing many personal challenges, including the loss of his eldest son Antron at the age of 33, Pippen’s understanding of the bond between Kobe and Gianna is profound.

But certainly, we can say Scottie Pippen can understand the bond between Kobe and Gianna, as he is a father of 7 and an admirer of Kobe as a basketball player.

Scottie Pippen’s admiration for Kobe Bryant

Earlier this year marked the fourth anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s tragic passing. Reflecting on this somber milestone, Scottie Pippen shared his heartfelt memories of the Black Mamba on Instagram. He posted a carousel of photos of the two competing, captioned, “Kobe Bryant—a fierce competitor and a cherished friend. You are deeply missed.”

However, the admiration was mutual. Kobe himself was a great admirer of Scottie Pippen. In an old interview, the 5x NBA champion praised Pippen’s defensive prowess: “If I’m a young player coming into the league today, I would really focus on the defensive end of the floor, and look at Scottie Pippen. I mean, this guy was a genius…”

In a candid conversation on the ‘Thuzio’ YouTube channel back in April, Scottie made a startling revelation about Kobe’s relentless pursuit of greatness. He stated, “Kobe strived so hard to be Michael Jordan. When I go back, and I look at his videos, and I say to myself, ‘Damn, he was better than Michael Jordan.'”

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.