"Kobe statue face looks more like Andre Ingram - Kobe Bryant's statue unveiled by Lakers has NBA fans disappointed

The LA Lakers unveiled the first of three statues for the late Kobe Bryant ahead of their game against the defending champions Denver Nuggets on Thursday, Feb. 8. The first statue featured Bryant in his iconic No. 8 jersey. The pose of the statue commemorates his 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006.

The Lakers announced that Bryant would have three statues outside of the Crypto.com arena. The first has already been unveiled. The second statue would be the five-time champion wearing his No. 24 jersey. The final statue would have the NBA star and his late daughter, Gigi.

The unveiling was attended by a few of his former teammates and other past players for the Lakers. Two-time champion Pau Gasol was in attendance. 2010-11 Sixth Man of the Year Lamar Odom was also present at the event. Five-time champion Magic Johnson was also seen among the crowd of celebrities.

Unfortunately, fans weren't satisfied with how the statue looked. They expressed their disappointment on X (formerly Twitter), citing an inaccurate depiction of the Laker great. Here is what some of the fans had to say about Bryant's first statue.

While it may look a bit off, two other statues might resemble him a bit more. Fans will have to see for themselves what the other two statues look like.

You might also be interested in reading this: Who are the makers of Kobe Bryant statue? Looking at Lakers unveiling statue at Crypto.com Arena

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Kobe Bryant's wife had a message to the fans before the statue was unveiled

Fans waited quite some time to see the Lakers make a statue of Kobe Bryant. It was about time until he was given his statue outside the arena where he inspired many. The widowed wife of Bryant, Vanessa, had a few words to share with the crowd before the unveiling.

During her speech, she mentioned that the pose of the first statue was selected by her late husband.

"For the record, Kobe picked the pose you're about to see," Vanessa said. "So if anyone has any issues with it... tough s**t. It is what it is."

The crowd applauded upon the reveal of the statue. A closer look at it and fans can see that it was well-detailed by the sculptors. The statue surrounds Bryant with five championships, which he helped bring to the Lakers franchise. It also has his name "KOBE BEAN BRYANT" etched on the base. Below is his nickname, "The Black Mamba."

The base also has a quote from the legend himself, stating: "Leave the game better than you found it. And when it comes time for you to leave, leave a legend."

The Lakers are honoring Bryant's legacy tonight against the Nuggets. They will wear the Kobe Bryant-designed Black Mamba uniforms in the game.