Earlier in March, almost a month after the Kobe Bryant statue outside the Crypto.com Arena was unveiled, fans noticed a number of errors on the tribute for the Los Angeles Lakers legend.
Sure enough, the issue quickly went viral and sparked a wave of backlash towards the organization that has always been known for excellence. Now over a month later, the mistakes have been fixed.
Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant Statue Error
There were actually three mistakes noticed on the platform where the Bryant statue stands, all of which were spelling errors. Sure they are minor, but this is a tribute to a team legend that we’re talking about, so it’s unacceptable that the team overlooked them.
One of the errors is the box score from Bryant’s iconic 81-point game in which the phrase “Coach’s Decision” was spelled “Coach’s Decicion.” Furthermore, two names were misspelled as well, with Jose Calderon’s name written as “Jose Calderson.” Bryant’s former teammate, Von Wafer, was written as “Vom Wafer.”
After photos of the mistakes went viral and sparked the disappointment of the LA fanbase, the Lakers quickly addressed the issue and promised that they will get it fixed.
A Lakers spokesperson said at the time, “We have been aware of this for a few weeks and are already working to get it corrected soon.”
Los Angeles Lakers Fix Kobe Bryant’s Statue
According to the latest updates, the errors in the Kobe Bryant statue have been fixed, just in time before the Los Angeles Lakers’ final regular-season home game against the Golden State Warriors.
According to TMZ, the Lakers brought equipment outside Crypto.com Arena to get it fixed. Another notable change is the facsimile auto of Kobe on the statue.
“A spot featuring a facsimile of Bryant’s signature also has been changed to read ‘Kobe, instead of “Kobe 24.” The bronze figure of Bryant is wearing the No. 8 jersey he wore in the first half of his career,” an AP News report stated.
Bryant has two more statue tributes coming from the Lakers, though their unveiling has yet to be revealed. One of the statues will show him wearing his no. 24 jersey, while the other one will have him alongside his daughter Gianna. Kobe and her daughter, along with seven others, passed away in a helicopter crash in 2020.
Hopefully, there won’t be any issue with the next two statues of Bryant.
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