Corrections to the Kobe Bryant statue outside Crypto.com Arena were completed in time for the Los Angeles Lakers' final regular-season home game. The 19-foot bronze statue had errors on the marble base, including misspelled names and formatting issues, which have now been fixed. The statue, the first of three planned to honor the Lakers great, has become a popular destination for fans, and the unveiling dates for the other two statues are yet to be determined.
The Kobe Bryant statue outside of Crypto.com Arena has several errors in the etched marble base, including misspelled names and formatting mistakes, but the Lakers are already working to correct them. The 19-foot bronze statue is the first of three commissioned to honor the Lakers great, with the other two planned statues featuring Bryant in his No. 24 uniform and one with his daughter, Gianna.
The statue of Kobe Bryant outside Crypto.com Arena has misspellings of two players' names and a word on the plaque commemorating his 81-point game in 2006, with Raptors guard José Calderón's last name spelled as "Calderson," Lakers forward Von Wafer's first name as "Vom," and a misspelling of the word "decision" next to Raptors guard Alvin Williams. The errors were pointed out by NBA journalist André Voigt, and the Lakers have not yet commented on the issue.
The Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers have shared a home arena since the 1999-2000 season, producing memorable moments over the years. From Shaquille O'Neal's 61-point birthday gift to Kobe Bryant's dominance, the rivalry has seen its share of iconic moments. Despite the Lakers' historical dominance, the Clippers have recently had the upper hand in head-to-head matchups at Crypto.com Arena. As the Clippers prepare to move to their new arena, the Intuit Dome, the rivalry's future remains uncertain, with the possibility of a long-awaited playoff matchup on the horizon.
The day after the Lakers unveiled a statue of Kobe Bryant outside Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles, hundreds of fans lined up to view the 19-foot bronze likeness depicting Bryant in his white No. 8 jersey. The statue is the first of three that will be created to honor the late NBA legend, with another featuring Bryant in his No. 24 jersey and a third depicting Bryant and his daughter, Gianna. The unveiling ceremony was attended by Lakers greats, including Bryant's widow, Vanessa, who worked with the artist to add meaningful details to the statue. The base of the statue includes a QR code for fans to watch highlights of Bryant's 81-point game and a quote from Bryant: "Leave the game better than you found it. And when it comes time for you to leave, leave a legend."
The Lakers will unveil a statue of Kobe Bryant at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, coinciding with the date 2/8/24 to honor both Bryant's and his daughter Gianna's jersey numbers. The event will feature the team wearing their Black Mamba uniforms, designed by Bryant, and will be live-streamed by ABC7. This marks the 12th statue at Star Plaza, commemorating Bryant's enduring legacy in the basketball world.
The 66th annual Grammy Awards, set to take place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, will feature SZA as the top nominee with nine nods for her album "SOS." The event is expected to be a big night for young women in music, with Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and other female artists competing in major categories. The awards show will honor recordings released from Oct. 1, 2022 through Sept. 15, 2023, and the emphasis on female representation reflects the Recording Academy's efforts to address past criticisms and bring in a younger, more diverse membership.
Taggers openly added graffiti to a partially completed skyscraper in downtown Los Angeles, covering at least 27 floors of the building, which sits across from the site of the upcoming Grammy Awards. The $1-billion Oceanwide Plaza project has been stalled since 2019, and the lack of security has allowed taggers to access the site freely. Despite the vandalism, some view the graffiti as a way for people to use neglected spaces and make the city feel more "human" again.
The naming rights for Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles will not be affected by the closure of Crypto.com's institutional exchange service for US customers, according to the company. The shutdown, which affects less than 400 entities, will not impact the company's retail trading app, which serves a large number of its more than 80 million users. Crypto.com entered a $700 million naming rights agreement in 2021 with AEG, the owner and operator of the arena known for years as the Staples Center.
