Kobe Bryant Statue Errors Get Fixed

NBA legend Kobe Bryant‘s statue outside Crypto.com Arena had two misspelled names and one misspelled word. 

Corrections to the Bryant statue were completed on Tuesday (4/9). 

The Kobe Bryant statue restoration was finished this morning outside of https://t.co/RbGGF9YhdO Arena pic.twitter.com/zos90M7zoJ

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 9, 2024

Bryant’s statue is of his 81-point game during the Los Angeles Lakers-Toronto Raptors game on January 22, 2006.

Raptors guard Jose Calderon‘s last name was spelled “Calderson” and Lakers guard Von Wafer‘s first name was spelled “Vom.”

The statue also misspelled “Coach’s Decision” for Wafer in the “DNP” section. It was spelled “Coach’s Decicion.”

One of the greatest players in NBA history, Bryant averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks in 1,346 regular-season games with the Lakers.

Bryant was an 18-time All-Star, a five-time champion, a four-time All-Star Game MVP, a two-time Finals MVP, a two-time scoring champion, a 15-time All-NBA Team member, a 12-time All-Defensive Team member and the 2007-08 MVP.

Bryant is fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He scored 33,643 points during his iconic career. 

During the Bryant era, the Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, and Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Bryant won three rings with Shaquille O’Neal and two with Pau Gasol.

The Lakers retired both of Bryant’s numbers (8 and 24) after he retired in 2016.

The NBA community was devastated when Bryant passed away in 2020. The 2019-20 Lakers, led by LeBron James — who was close friends with Bryant — won the 2020 championship over the Miami Heat at the Walt Disney World bubble as their way of honoring Bryant.

Former NBA guard and current ESPN analyst JJ Redick said Bryant‘s death inspired him to do a podcast with LeBron. Redick and LeBron’s podcast is called “Mind the Game.”

LeBron is one of the best players in NBA history. He’s also one of the smartest players of all time.  

“This is an opportunity for any basketball fan to listen to one of the greatest players ever talk about the game of basketball,” Redick said during an interview on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz. “We saw that for a few years with Kobe. And god rest his soul, him being gone, there’s a void there. How many of the [other] all-time greats are talking about the game? I don’t know if there’s anybody.”