“When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.” And legends like Muhammad Ali and Kobe Bryant were loved more than enough to be treasured as statues in the National Garden of American Heroes. Well, that’s exactly what Donald Trump has planned to do in honor of the black American heroes. The garden will feature the statues of Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and Coretta Scott King. And in the men’s section, the garden will make a stand for Frederick Douglas, Booker T. Washington, Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King Jr., and of course, Ali and Bryant. That’s when Dana White recalled his friendship with Bryant and applauded the POTUS’s initiative to treasure his memories. 

Trump made the big announcement on 20 February 2025, while celebrating Black History. He said, “Under the executive order I signed last month, this new beautiful outdoor statue park. It’s going to be a statue park, it’s going to be unbelievable. We’re picking the final sites now, it’s between various states that want it very badly. We’ll honor hundreds of our greatest Americans who ever lived, including countless black American icons.” But when it came to Ali and the Lakers’ star, he said, “…Muhammed Ali, who’s not a bad athlete, and the late Kobe Bryant! People love Kobe Bryant.”

And the UFC head honcho could not disagree with the President’s final sentence. As he came across a post on Instagram that showed Bryant getting a statue at the National Garden of American Heroes, he shared the joyful moment on his IG story. In the caption, he wrote, “F— YES!!! So awesome Kobe.” Well, it has been 5 years since we lost the shooting guard to a terrible accident. But the love that the world has showered on him has definitely made him immortal. And with White rooting for his statue, the entirety of the MMA world is going to keep Bryant in their hearts.

But did you know that Dana White was a pretty close friend of Bryant? Well, he was a lot more than just a friend. The Lakers legend was also an investor in White’s fight promotion. Let’s take a look at the relationship that the UFC CEO shared with Bryant. 

Dana White remembers Kobe Bryant’s investments in UFC

Following Bryant’s unfortunate helicopter crash in 2020, White made an appearance on COMPLEX, where he talked about Bryant’s investment. He said, “I knew him personally. He and I were friends, and he actually invested in the UFC. When Endeavour bought [the UFC], they let all their clients come in and take a piece. He took a piece.” But it was Bryant’s excitement regarding the mixed martial arts promotion that almost had the UFC head honcho in tears. 

White continued, “He was super pumped about the investment and I love Kobe.” Well, there was a time when most of the celebrities were cashing out their investments from the UFC, but Bryant wasn’t like that. He knew that the fight promotion was going to become a giant someday. Now the UFC has become one of the greatest fight promotions in the entire world. But Bryant could not come in to see how much his money had grown. 

Needless to say, Bryant and Ali left a permanent mark on the world. They not only had their games settled in, but were also loved because of the kind of people they were outside the arena. Both of them were fierce and determined when they got in their zone. And that’s what made them legends of the sporting world, ready to be immortalized in the National Garden of American Heroes.