With Kobe Bryant’s Statue Being Unveiled Tomorrow, Candace Parker Expresses Gratitude: “Uplifted Our League”

It’s been four years since the NBA world witnessed the loss of the legendary Kobe Bryant. His work and personality still echo through the hearts of fans and fraternity, stirring emotions and overwhelming the lives he has touched with his brilliance and compassion. To pay homage to his contributions in people’s lives, the Lakers, along with Vanessa Bryant, will unveil the legend’s statue, posthumously, at the Star Plaza, just outside the Crypto.com Arena, before their home game against the Nuggets.

Candace Parker can’t help but appreciate this effort and reminisce on his contributions to the women’s basketball team. NBA on TNT posted a clip where we can see Parker speaking about Bryant and his efforts toward the WNBA. She says, “Yeah! umm, I think it’s a no-brainer, you know obviously Kobe and Shaq in the era was synonymous with winning and was synonymous with championships. And, you know I think, we in the WNBA feel like Kobe was the person that uplifted our league. And, I think just in terms of him having his daughters and really teaching the game,” describing how Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal were at the top of their game as the stars of their era.

Kobe’s impact and contribution towards the WNBA and women’s basketball have been wholesome. Donning a mentor’s hat, Kobe trained players at different levels of high school, college, NBA, and WNBA. Moreover, he fostered relationships with players like Sabrina Ionescu, Diana Taurasi, etc. These players majorly improved in their games because of Kobe’s guidance and advice.

A vocal advocate for the WNBA and women’s sports in general, Bryant attended WNBA games and gave shout-outs to female athletes, raising respect for women’s participation in sports. After he retired, Bryant with his coaching shoes on coached Gigi’s middle school basketball team.

She even speaks about her learnings from watching Kobe play on the court and his ideologies of life as a sportsman Parker adds, “I think that’s the biggest thing I learned from him, it’s like always continue no matter how many championships you have, how many games you win, to continue to wanna learn and get better and study the game, and I think that’s the biggest thing that I learned from Kobe watching, but also being in LA and seeing him win championships at the end of his career.”

Now, with his statue being unveiled tomorrow, let’s take a look at what the grand gesture signifies.

Kobe’s Bronze Statue – a heartfelt tribute

The statue serves as a tribute to the legend, along with honoring his remarkable contributions and his unforgettable career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Hence, celebrating his life and legacy. Moreover, his talent, work ethic, and passion for the games have inspired many athletes and fans around the globe. The statue reflects that inspiration for future generations.

Although he is always there in our hearts as an everlasting gem, however, the statue will provide a physical place for the fans to connect with Kobe’s memory, being a space where they can always come to pay their respect, remember him, and feel a sense of closeness to him.

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