As a fan, I still find it somewhat hard to believe that it’s been over four years since Kobe Bryant died at 41 alongside his daughter, Gianna, and seven others due to a helicopter crash. The NBA legend may no longer be with us, but his legacy certainly lives on. In the years since his passing, many have memorialized him in wonderful ways. One of the biggest gestures came from his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, who honored him with a statue that was unveiled earlier this year. However, it would now seem that the monument includes some awkward mistakes in its inscriptions that fans may want changed.
In August 2023, Crypto.com Arena confirmed that the man known as “The Black Mamba” would receive a statue of his own on the premises. The tribute was officially unveiled to the public, much to the delight of Laker fans and franchise alums. The pose chosen for the statue is taken from the night that the revered shooting guard scored 81 points in 2006. Because of that, etched into the side of the monolith are the stats from that game between LA and the Toronto Raptors.
What’s recently come to light, though, is that there are several spelling errors that are too obvious to miss. One such issue brought up by TMZ is that the name of former Toronto Raptors point guard José Calderón’s name was inscribed as "Jose Calderson." Ex-Lakers player Von Wafer’s name was also misspelled, with him being referred to as “Vom Wafer.” On top of that, a Coach’s Decision portion of the given stats was marked down as “Coach’s Decicion.” The third in that trio of errors would’ve been embarrassing enough, but the fact that two players’ names weren’t put down incorrectly is particularly perplexing.
As of this writing, the Los Angeles Lakers have yet to release a statement on the matter, which slowly but surely seems to be picking up buzz across social media. It’s hard to say whether or not the problems present on the side of the sculpture will be corrected at some point.
The mistakes aside, the statue itself is still very impressive, and the fact that it commemorates the anniversary of that incredible 81-point game is truly the icing on the cake. Per The Los Angeles Times, Kobe Bryant mentioned, before his death, that he wanted a monument to pay homage to that particular game and immortalize the stance of him pointing to the sky during that matchup. The unveiling was also great, as fans captured a sweet moment involving Pau Gasol and Bryant’s daughter, Natalia. Take a look at it for yourself:
So much love has been shown to Kobe Bryant – who some argue is more skilled than Michael Jordan – since he died. Shaq spoke out around the one-year anniversary of his death, revealing that he used the day to reach out to Bryant’s parents and check up on them. Jimmy Fallon and more also offered tributes on that first-year commemoration. Additionally, Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, pens an annual birthday tributes for him, and they can surely bring tears to one’s eyes.
All of this speaks to the impact that the late athlete had not only on the game of basketball but on the world at large. It’s wonderful to see that his work is being celebrated in a multitude of ways, including through that statue. Of course, I also hope that someone might rectify the engraved mistakes soon.
You can learn more about Kobe Bryant’s career by checking out Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers with a Hulu subscription now.
