Lakers and Vanessa Bryant Unveil: A recently erected monument outside Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena pays tribute to the unique friendship and long legacy that the late Kobe Bryant had with his daughter Gianna.
On Friday, August 2, Vanessa Bryant and the Lakers organisation held a private ceremony outside the arena’s 11th Street entrance to reveal the bronze statue named “Girl Dad,” which honours her husband and daughter. There is a new garden setting where the statue is situated.
The artwork, which was designed by Karon Davis and produced by the Rotblatt Amrany Studio artists, honors “the Bryant family’s support for women and girls in sports” and features Kobe with his arm around Gianna with angel wings in the background. A statement about the piece was posted on the Lakers’ website. It read: “The tribute represents Kobe and Gianna’s great basketball legacy and the uplifting relationship Kobe shared with all four of his daughters.”
During the private unveiling ceremony, Vanessa, 42, said to a gathering of friends and family, “Kobe was the ultimate Girl Dad and Barbie was the ultimate Daddy’s girl.”
“That is when the challenge to change the perception of women’s sports started in our household,” the woman went on to say. “We had to contend with the harsh reality that no matter how great She was or could be, no matter how great her daddy taught her to play, or even if she performed exactly like Kobe, a she would not have had the same advantages and chances that her father and young men currently have because she is a girl.” This year, Gianna will be starting her first year at college. She would be shining on the court for us to observe. Her legacy is now shining on a route she made for future girls and female athletes.”
Vanessa had already discussed the sources of inspiration for the statue’s design. “We merged two iconic courtside moments of Kobe and Gigi,” she explained. “Gigi gave Kobe a Philadelphia Eagles beanie for Christmas, and he is kissing the top of Gianna’s head with that wonderful smile on her face. Additionally, he is sporting a WNBA hoodie that he wore to the game with Gigi, courtside.”
She went on, “Kobe was the first NBA player to promote Gigi’s goals and women in sports in general by wearing the orange sweatshirt to a major game. That was a moment he and Gigi shared, and it will always serve as a potent symbol of the crucially necessary push towards equality.
Kobe and Gianna were pictured in an identical hug while sitting courtside at the Lakers’ home game against the Dallas Mavericks on December 29, 2019, only weeks before they tragically lost their lives in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
The Italianate garden benches and hedges that encircle them pay homage to Kobe’s childhood in Italy, as reported by Lakers.com. The monument also has engraved butterflies made of purple onyx and golden-vein onyx, as well as purple and gold flowers in the Lakers’ colours.
“Gianna Bryant, Inspirational Icon for Girls in Sports” and “Kobe Bryant, Proud Supporter of Women in Sports” are written on a plaque in front of the statue. The engraving also includes the logos of Mamba and Mambacita. Below is a passage from “Most Valuable Girl Dad” that says, “Gianna is a beast.” At her age, she is better than I was. She understands. Girls are wonderful. If I could, I would have five more girls. I am a father of a girl.
The sculpture will be installed on August 2 (8/2/24), which alludes to the numbers Gianna wore when she played competitive youth basketball (2) and the numbers Kobe wore when he was a member of the Purple and Gold.
The Lakers have announced that the statue will be accessible for public viewing beginning on Saturday, August 3 at 9:00 a.m. local time.
In line with the spirit of her late husband and daughter, Vanessa made a sincere request of her fans, friends, and family as she concluded her tribute on Friday. “I want you to please give young females your time in remembrance of Kobe and Gigi. Offer them your assistance. Assure them that they are capable of doing anything a man can accomplish and that they will be able to surpass it because they can, have, and will. Iron sharpens iron. See how much they flourish when you reassure their confidence,” she remarked.
Vanessa went on, “Even if that one person is ourselves, there are moments when all we need is someone to believe in us. Take your girls to see female athletes. If you can, get those game tickets. With your daughters, nieces, and cousins, watch women’s basketball on television. Young girls know they have the ability to be professional women if they watch them play. They are aware that their goals will come true and are not simply pipe dreams. Let us develop the athletes of tomorrow. That is what Kobe and Gigi would have us do.
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