statue of Kobe Bryant unveiled in Los Angeles four years after his death. The statue, by sculptor Julie Rotblatt-Amrany, was unveiled after a ceremony in tribute to the ‘Black Mamba’ Kobe Bryant, five-time NBA champion and 18-time All-Star, died at the age of 41 with his daughter Gianna, 13, and seven others in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020 near Los Angeles.
The Lakers, now led by another superstar, LeBron James, host the defending champion Denver in the evening.