This week President Donald Trump unveiled an interesting plan to honor Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
Nearly a year after Bryant’s tragic passing, Trump signed an executive order to place Bryant’s statue in the National Garden of American Heroes.
“Heroes who deserve honor, recognition, and lasting tribute because of the battles they won, the ideas they championed, the diseases they cured, the lives they saved, the heights they achieved, and the hope they passed down to all of us – that united as one American people trusting in God, there is no challenge that cannot be overcome and no dream that is beyond our reach,” the order read.
Given that Trump is currently departing office, it remainst o be seen whether President-elect Joe Biden will carry out this executive order.
Last year, Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, baseball coach John Altobelli, five others, and the pilot died in a helicopter crash. The accident rocked the entire sports world to its core. Ultimately, the Lakers dedicated their championship-winning 2019-20 campaign to the Bryant family.
Throughout their season, the Lakers honored Bryant all year with a “KB” patch on their jerseys and even had an alternate “Black Mamba” jersey set which they wore for several playoff games. They only suffered one defeat the ‘Black Mamba’ jerseys – ultimately winning the 17th championship in franchise history.
Since Bryant’s passing, his wife, Vanessa, has consistently done her best to keep his memory alive. She has sent special gifts to celebrities like Kim Kardashian in his honor, saved his fans from absolute disaster, and consistently paid tribute to him in myriad ways.
Whether Bryant’s statue is ultimately erected or not, one thing is for certain: his memory will forever remain alive and well, if for no other reason than because those who loved and respected him would never settle for anything less.
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