Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff WriterAug 1, 2024, 01:04 PM ETCloseLakers and NBA reporter for ESPN.
Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.LOS ANGELES — A statue depicting Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant will be unveiled in a private tented ceremony Friday outside of Crypto.com Arena, sources told ESPN.The statue is the second of three planned monuments to the Los Angeles Lakers legend, who died in a tragic helicopter crash along with Gigi and seven others in January 2020.The first statue, a 19-foot bronze memorial to Bryant’s 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors, was unveiled on Feb. 8.Friday’s date (8/2/24) holds similar numerology meaning to the February ceremony (2/8/24), representing both of Bryant’s uniform numbers (8 and 24) and the No. 2 that 13-year-old Gigi wore on the basketball court.The statue of the father and daughter is located near the Los Angeles Kings’ monument celebrating the team’s 50th anniversary. It will be available for the public to visit starting Saturday morning, sources told ESPN.Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, revealed at the February ceremony that the third statue would show her late husband donning his No. 24 Lakers uniform.The third statue is expected to be unveiled sometime next season, sources told ESPN.