The hefty 4,000-pound statue captures Bryant in his iconic white No. 8 jersey, raising his right index finger as he exited the court after his historic 81-point spectacle against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006.
Joining the pantheon of Lakers greats like Shaq, Magic, Kareem, and more, Bryant”s larger-than-life presence now graces the arena”s courtyard.
Most of Bryant’s epic 81 (or at least a good chunk) came at the expense of Rose, as then-Raptors coach Sam Mitchell stubbornly avoided double-teaming. And boy, have Lakers fans not let him live it down! Rose has had to weather a storm of “81″ jokes and jabs on Twitter, even resorting to the occasional block.
