13 basketball legends with statues at NBA arenas
Kobe Bryant is the seventh icon from the Lakers to be commemorated with a statue.
On February 8, 2024, the Los Angeles Lakers honored their late superstar, Kobe Bryant, by unveiling a 19-foot bronze statue of him outside their downtown arena.
The statue, weighing 4,000 pounds, portrays Bryant sporting his white jersey number 8, with his right index finger lifted as he left the court after his 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006.
During the dedication ceremony, Vanessa, the widow of Bryant, stated that the statue is the first of three that are to be made to pay tribute to the five-time NBA champion and the leading scorer in Lakers’ history. Another statue will showcase Bryant in his No. 24 jersey, the one he donned for the latter part of his career, while a third will portray Bryant along with his daughter, Gianna, who tragically passed away with him and seven others in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
Here’s a retrospective on other players who have been honored with statues throughout the league.
Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
Year unveiled: 1994
Career accolades: 6 NBA championships; 6 Finals MVPs; 5 NBA MVPs; 14-time All-Star; 11-time All-NBA; 9-time All-Defensive First Team; 1988 Defensive Player of the Year; 1985 Rookie of the Year; 10-time scoring champion; 2-time Slam Dunk champ; 2-time Olympics Gold medal winner; NBA Anniversary Team (50th, 75th); 2009 Hall of Fame inductee
> More on Michael Jordan
George Mikan, Minneapolis Lakers
Year unveiled: 2001
Career accolades: 5 NBA championships; 2 NBL championships; 4-time NBA All-Star; 1948 NBL MVP; 6-time All-NBA first team; 3-time NBA scoring champ; NBA Anniversary Team (25th, 35th, 50th, 75th); 1959 inaugural Hall of Fame inductee
> More on George Mikan
Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
Year unveiled: 2004
Career accolades: 5 NBA championships; 3 Finals MVPs; 3 NBA MVPs; 12-time All-Star; 10-time All-NBA; 4-time NBA assists leader; Olympic Gold medalist; NBA Anniversary Team (50th, 75th); 2002 Hall of Fame inductee
> More on Magic Johnson
Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia 76ers
Year unveiled: 2004
Career accolades: 2 NBA championships; 4 NBA MVPs; 1972 Finals MVP; 13-time All-Star; 10-time All-NBA; 2-time All-Defense; 7-time scoring champion; 11-time rebounding champion; 1968 assist leader; 1960 Rookie of the Year; NBA Anniversary Team (35th, 50th, 75th); 1979 Hall of Fame inductee
> More on Wilt Chamberlain
John Stockton, Utah Jazz
Year unveiled: 2005
Career accolades: 10-time All-Star; 11-time All-NBA; 5-time All-Defense; 9-time assist leader; NBA’s all-time assists and steals leader; 2-time Olympic Gold medalist; NBA Anniversary Team (50th, 75th); 2009 Hall of Fame inductee
> More on John Stockton
Karl Malone, Utah Jazz
Year unveiled: 2006
Career accolades: 2 NBA MVPs; 14-time All-Star; 14-time All-NBA; 4-time All-Defense; 2-time Olympic Gold medalist; NBA Anniversary Team (50th, 75th); 2010 Hall of Fame inductee
> More on Karl Malone
Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers
Year unveiled: 2011
Career accolades: 1972 NBA champion; 1969 Finals MVP; 14-time All-Star; 12-time All-NBA; 5-time All-Defense; 1970 scoring champ; 1972 assists leader; 1960 Olympic Gold medalist; NBA Anniversary Team (35th, 50th, 75th); 1980 Hall of Fame inductee
> More on Jerry West
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers
Year unveiled: 2012
Career accolades: 6 NBA championships; 2 Finals MVPs; 6 NBA MVPs; 19-time All-Star; 15-time All-NBA; 11-time All-Defense; 2-time scoring champ; 4-time blocks leader; 1976 rebounds leader; 1970 Rookie of the Year; NBA Anniversary Team (35th, 50th, 75th); 1995 Hall of Fame inductee
> More on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Dominique Wilkins, Atlanta Hawks
Year unveiled: 2015
Career accolades: 9-time NBA All-Star; 7-time All-NBA; 1986 scoring champ; 2-time Slam Dunk champ; NBA 75th Anniversary Team; 2006 Hall of Fame inductee
> More on Dominique Wilkins
Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
Year unveiled: 2017
Career accolades: 4 NBA championships; 3 Finals MVPs; 2000 NBA MVP; 15-time All-Star; 14-time All-NBA; 3-time All-Defense; 2-time scoring champ; 1993 Rookie of Year; 1996 Olympic Gold medalist; NBA Anniversary Team (50th, 75th); 2016 Hall of Fame inductee
> More on Shaquille O’Neal
Elgin Baylor, Los Angeles Lakers
Year unveiled: 2018
Career accolades: 11-time All-Star; 10-time All-NBA; 1959 Rookie of the Year; NBA Anniversary Team (35th, 50th, 75th); 1977 Hall of Fame inductee
> More on Elgin Baylor
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
Year unveiled: 2022
Career accolades: 2011 NBA champion; 2011 Finals MVP; 2007 NBA MVP; 14-time All-Star; 12-time All-NBA; NBA 75th Anniversary Team; 2023 Hall of Fame inductee
> More on Dirk Nowitzki
Kobe Bryant
Year unveiled: 2024
Career accolades: 5 NBA championships; 2 Finals MVPs; 2008 NBA MVP; 18-time All-Star; 15-time All-NBA; 12-time All-Defense; 2-time scoring champ; 1997 Slam Dunk champ; 2-time Olympics Gold medalist; NBA 75th Anniversary Team; 2023 Hall of Fame inductee
More statues
Besides NBA arenas, there are other locations where NBA players are eternally commemorated:
• Celtics and NBA legend Bill Russell has a statue at Boston City Hall Plaza. The 11-time NBA champion is the only player to have his jersey number retired by every team in the league.
• The 76ers’ practice facility is home to multiple statues. The current list includes Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone, Allen Iverson and the 1982-83 championship team.
• Multiple colleges have honored NBA players with statues, including:
- Larry Bird at Indiana State
- Magic Johnson at Michigan State
- At West Virginia, Jerry West and Hot Rod Hundley.
- At LSU, there were Bob Pettit, Pete Maravich, and Shaquille O’Neal.
- Charles Barkley at Auburn
- George Gervin at Eastern Michigan
• Statues aren’t limited to the United States. Dirk Nowitzki has a statue in Frankfurt, Germany and Stephon Marbury has one in Beijing, China.
• Players aren’t the only NBA people with statues. Legendary Celtics coach Red Auerbach is honored in downtown Boston and longtime Lakers announcer Chick Hearn is celebrated in front of Crypto.com Arena.
