At 8:24 a.m. PT on 8/24 — Kobe Bryant Day, aka Mamba Day — the Los Angeles Lakers announced that the long-awaited Kobe statue would be unveiled on Feb. 8, 2024, in a ceremony outside Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers will host the Denver Nuggets that evening.

“As you know, Kobe played his entire 20-year NBA career as a Los Angeles Laker,” Vanessa Bryant said in a video posted on the team's social pages. “Since arriving in this city and joining the Lakers organization, he felt at home here, playing in the City of Angels.

“On behalf of the Lakers, my daughters, and me, I am so honored that, right in the center of Los Angeles, in front of the place known as ‘The House That Kobe Built', we are going to unveil his statue so that his legacy can be celebrated forever.”

“Kobe Bryant was one of the most extraordinary athletes of all time, and one of the most iconic individuals in the history of Los Angeles,” Lakers governor Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “There is no better place for Kobe to be honored with a statue than here, at the center of our city, where everyone can celebrate him and be inspired by his incredible achievements.”

“Kobe’s transcendent spirit is always and forever in our hearts – inspiring us every day,” said Lakers general manager (and Kobe's long-time friend and agent) Rob Pelinka. “And now, with the unveiling of this powerful and beautiful statue, he will have a physical presence, too. A place on the hallowed ground Kobe created, where we can all gather and pay honor to a mighty and great man.”

More details on the statue and ceremony will be announced at a later date. At the moment, here's what we do know.

3) The date holds a special significance

The date of the unveiling, 2/8/24, represents the jersey number (#2) worn by Kobe's daughter, Gianna, at the Mamba Academy, and Kobe's two numbers with the Lakers, which were retired by the franchise on Dec. 18, 2017.

2) Kobe will be immortalized alongside legends

The 18-time All-Star and five-time champion — and the franchise's all-time leader in points, steals, 3-pointers made, games played, and playoff points — will join a handful of Los Angeles icons in Star Plaza, including six other Lakers.

Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, and Chick Hearn have bronze busts outside Crypto, as do boxer Oscar De La Hoya and hockey greats Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille.

1) Kobe participated in the statue's creation

According to the Lakers' press release, Bryant “participated in the initial planning” of his statue after his retirement in 2016. The statue was created by Jolie Rotblatt Amrany of the Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt Amrany. The studio has created the Magic and Kareem statues that sit outside Crypto, along with statues honoring Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Lombardi, Pat Tillman, David Beckham, among other icons.

Lakers fans are eager to learn what memorable moment from Kobe's 20-year Hall of Famer career will be rendered in bronze. His point to the sky after scoring 81 points? His picture-perfect game-winner vs. the Phoenix Suns? The jersey pop? A patented fadeaway? Young Kobe soaring through the air vs. the Nets in 2001? His arms spread wide in triumph on the scorer's table after Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals? The possibilities are endless.