On Thursday, late Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant will receive yet another honor when a statue of his likeness will be unveiled just outside of Crypto.com Arena.
Crypto.com Arena, which was known as Staples Center until about two years ago, is perhaps most known for being Bryant’s office during his 20 NBA seasons. In fact, some in the area informally refer to the arena as “the house that Kobe built.”
Of course, Shaquille O’Neal also had a huge hand in giving the building a winning identity during its early years. Bryant and O’Neal teamed to lead the Lakers to three straight NBA championships in the early 2000s, and it was an era that will never be forgotten by the fans who lived through it.
On TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” O’Neal reflected on his time playing with Bryant while calling Bryant getting his statue a “no-brainer” and saying he was honored to be Bryant’s teammate.
"I'm honored to have played with him… This is a no brainer… We knew he was going to get his jerseys retired you knew it was going to be a Kobe statue." 💯@SHAQ on the @Lakers unveiling Kobe's statue on 2/8/24 pic.twitter.com/4Vs3lOYPpp
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 7, 2024
O’Neal, along with several other legendary athletes, already has his own statue outside Crypto.com Arena. These statues will always serve as relics frozen in time that will teach young fans today and forever about the Lakers’ storied history.
