A statue is now in place honoring the late Gigi and Kobe Bryant at the site of the tragic helicopter crash that claimed their lives two years ago.
To commemorate the two-year anniversary of Kobe, Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, and seven others who lost their lives in the crash, a sculptor created a 160-pound statue for the crash site.
Based on reports, his Gigi and Kobe Bryant statue was created as a temporary tribute to those who passed away in the January 2020 crash.
Gigi and Kobe Bryant statue goes up in Calabassas
Kobe Bryant is considered one of the all-time greatest basketball players, while his daughter Gigi was on the rise towards greatness in the sport. Several years ago, they tragically lost their lives as they were headed to a basketball game with seven others via helicopter.
The superstar duo was recently honored with a special statue in Calabassas, California.
The statue was placed at the crash site where Kobe, Gigi, and seven others died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. The two-year anniversary of that tragic event arrived this past Wednesday.
An Instagram post via @newportbeachlivingmagazine shows a view of the statue at the crash site from behind. Many individuals often visit the site to pay their respects and leave personal tributes, including flowers and Lakers items.
A sculptor named Dan Medina created the 160-pound statue, which features Kobe Bryant standing next to his daughter with an arm around her as she looks up to him with a basketball in hand. Kobe and Gigi are wearing their basketball jerseys.
The base of the statue includes the names of each of the individuals who died in the helicopter crash. Below the names, a quote reads, “Heroes come and go, but legends are forever.”
Medina told TMZ Sports that after creating the sculpture, he brought it via wagon to the crash site to place it there. He also mentioned that the statue would serve as a temporary tribute. Medina said he wants to create a “larger, more life-sized” version of the current statue as a permanent tribute if the city allows him to.
Tributes poured in for Kobe, Gigi on second-year anniversary
Many tributes arrived this past Wednesday to honor the late Gigi and Kobe Bryant. The Los Angeles Lakers shared a black and white photo on their official Instagram with Kobe kissing the top of Gig’s head while attending a basketball game.
“Family is forever,” the Instagram caption reads below the image of the memorable father-daughter moment.
The Players Tribune shared a tweet that lists the names of each of the individuals who passed away in the January 2020 helicopter crash.
Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul, a former NBA All-Star teammate of Kobe Bryant’s, also shared a memorable image from his days playing in the league with Kobe.
The image below shows CP3 seated on a bench in the locker room with one of his kids standing next to him. Kobe is also seated there next to Gigi as they chat it up.
Metta Sandiford-Artest, formerly Metta World Peace, was one of Kobe’s teammates on the Lakers championship team in 2010. Sandiford-Artest shared an artist’s drawing of Kobe with Gigi, which features the rim of the basketball hoop transformed into a shining halo above the duo.
“The best,” he wrote on the tweet he shared on Thursday.
Another former Lakers teammate Lamar Odom, who will appear in the upcoming Celebrity Big Brother season, shared his thoughts.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t mention my brother @kobebryant or think of him!” Odom tweeted with several heart emojis.
“Gigi & Kobe your with me always!” Odom wrote in another tweet sharing a TMZ article.
Odom, Kobe’s Lakers teammate from 2007 through 2011 and a close friend post-retirement, received a Kobe and Gigi Bryant chain as a gift from his manager. A pendant on the chain features the iconic photo shown above of Kobe kissing his daughter, per TMZ Sports.
Many tributes have arrived since Kobe’s passing as people continue to remember him, his daughter, and the seven others who lost their lives. In 2020, the NBA renamed the All-Star MVP Award in honor of Kobe, per Washington Post. Additionally, he was included in the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team unveiled last year featuring the greatest 75 players in the history of the game.