Lakers unveil statue of Kobe Bryant: 'When it comes time for you to leave, leave a legend'

Nineteen feet of bronze, 4,000 pounds, with the iconic number eight jersey and an inscription that reads: "Kobe Bean Bryant, 'Black Mamba.'" The Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue to remember their legendary player Thursday at Crypto.com Arena.

The pose, according to his widow at the ceremony, was chosen by Bryant himself: a finger pointing to the sky as he leaves the court after scoring 81 points against the Raptors in 2006, the second highest mark in NBA history.

"Leave the game better than you found it. And when it comes time for you to leave, leave a legend," reads the side of the statue. The memorial also has a QR code that links to a video of Denzel Washington with highlights from Black Mamba's career.

The Lakers also paid tribute to him during the subsequent game against the Denver Nuggets, which they lost 114-106. They wore a black jersey co-designed by Bryant, which was first worn in 2018.

The team will introduce two other statues in honor of the historic player, who died in 2020 in a helicopter accident. Although it is not yet known when, it was reported that in one of them he will wear the number 24 jersey, and in another he will be with his daughter Gianna, who died in the same crash, according to statements from a Lakers spokesperson to ESPN.