"Opened that door and made it possible": Jeanie Buss lauds ultimate 'girl dad' Kobe Bryant after second statue unveiling

Four years after their heartbreaking deaths, NBA fans around the world continue to celebrate the lives of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant.

The Los Angeles Lakers, who Bryant spent his entire career with, celebrated them on 8-2-24, honoring the father and daughter with a statue of Kobe and Gianna Bryant sharing an embrace at the last Lakers game they attended in December 2019.

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss shared her thoughts and feelings during the emotional unveiling.

"It's deeply personal. But then, all fans love Kobe and Gianna so much that this gives everybody a moment to have that personal time to reflect as to why they were so important to us. I couldn't be happier with how the statue has turned out." Buss stated about the unveiling.

Buss went on to share her thoughts about Kobe's "girl dad" movement:

"The girl dad movement really took flight with Kobe and Gianna, the relationship that they had. So many dads told me they wanted to relate, through sports, to their daughter. Kobe kind of opened that door and made it possible. Gianna being a student of the game really inspired him to continue to meet her competitiveness. It's inspiring a whole generation as we're seeing now," Buss continued.

The statue encaptures Kobe Bryant's "girl dad" nature, and the love he had for his daughters and his family. The Bryant family and the Lakers organization continue to honor Kobe and Gianna Bryant following their deaths.

Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa helps unveil newest statue

Kobe Bryant's wife and Gianna's mother Vanessa helped the Lakers unveil the newest statue outside Crypto.com Arena.

Speaking to a close circle of friends and family, Vanessa Bryant made a small speech following the statue's unveiling (via NBA.com):

"We merged two iconic people courtside moments of Kobe and Gigi. Gianna has her gorgeous smile on her face and Kobe is kissing the top of her head while wearing the Philadelphia Eagles beanie that Gigi gifted him for Christmas. He's also wearing a WNBA hoodie he wore courtside to the game with Gigi," she said.

"Kobe was the first player to wear that orange hoodie to a big game and that was to show his support for Gigi's dreams and for women across all sports. That was a moment he shared with Gigi that will always be a powerful representation of the movement towards equality that was always so important to our family," she added.

Vanessa Bryant continued in her speech:

"We were faced with the harsh reality that no matter how great Gianna was or could be, no matter how great her daddy taught her how to play, or even if she played exactly like Kobe, she would not have the same benefits and opportunities that her dad and young men currently have because she's a girl. That's when the challenge to change the perception of women's sports started in our household.

"Gianna would be going into her first year of college this year. We would be watching her shine on the court. Now her spirit is shining a path she has created for young girls and women in sports. In honor of Kobe and Gigi, I ask you this: give young girls your time. Give them your support. Tell them they can do anthing any man can do and tell them they can exceed that, because they can, they have and they will."

She concluded:

"Kobe was the ultimate Girl Dad and Gigi was the ultimate Daddy's Girl."

What is your favorite Kobe Bryant moment? Share your thoughts and stories in the comments section below.