Kobe Bryant's Widow Vanessa Gives Emotional Speech at Statue Unveiling, Jokingly Responds to Critics of Kobe's Pose

Kobe Bryant has been honored with the first of three statues that will stand in front of the Crypto.com Arena, where the Los Angeles Lakers play basketball.

The late athlete’s wife Vanessa Bryant and daughter Natalia were in attendance at an unveiling ceremony on Thursday (February 8) in Los Angeles.

Vanessa gave an emotional speech and also made a joke about the statue’s appearance.

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“It goes without saying that today is an especially sad day for us since Kobe and Gigi aren’t here for what is supposed to be an incredibly joyous moment and Kobe’s legacy,” she said. “Kobe has so many people that have supported him all over the world from the very beginning. And this moment isn’t just for Kobe, but it’s for all of you that have been rooting for him all of these years. And to the fans here in LA, this is a special city Kobe was so proud to represent. You welcomed him with open arms and have been so important to him, our family and his legacy.”

Vanessa knows that some fans will be unhappy with the statue and she wants them to know their opinions don’t matter.

“For the record, Kobe picked the pose you’re about to see. So if anyone has any issues with it, tough s—. It is what it is,” she said.