Kobe Bryant and 9 NBA stars honored with statues

One of the latest players to be honored with a statue is Kobe Bryant. The Black Mamba entertained fans around the world with his clutch shots and difficult jumpers, thanks to his crazy work ethic.

Furthermore, Bryant cemented his legacy by helping the Lakers win five NBA championships and earning two Finals MVPs and one NBA MVP. Unfortunately, when the statue was revealed, several errors were noticed by fans, but the statue has since been restored.

Michael Jordan

Widely regarded as the GOAT, there’s no doubt that Michael Jordan deserves a statue of his own in the Windy City. Besides, Jordan was the face of the Bulls’ golden era, where he led the team to a pair of three-peats. With six NBA titles and the same amount of Finals MVPs, the statue is a good way of immortalizing the legendary feat achieved by His Airness.

Dirk Nowitzki

The Dallas Mavericks never won an NBA title until Dirk Nowitzki led the team to one in 2011. Moreover, it was in historic fashion after Nowitzki led the Mavericks over some of the top contenders in the NBA, including the Miami Heat’s Big Three.

Nowitzki also revolutionized the idea of a stretch big man, which paved the way for the modern era. With Nowitzki regarded as the best player in a Mavs uniform, it’s easy to see why they built him a statue in Dallas.

George Mikan

Although it was a long time ago, basketball fans should never forget how George Mikan was the center of the Lakers squad that started the NBA’s first dynasty. Leading the Minneapolis Lakers, Mikan helped the team win five NBA championships. His legacy continues to be honored in the form of a statue located at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

Karl Malone

Karl Malone was the franchise player for the Utah Jazz during the team’s best years in the NBA. Although it never resulted in an NBA championship, Malone is a two-time MVP and led the Jazz to consecutive Finals appearances. Arguably the greatest player in a Jazz uniform, it isn’t surprising that Utah honored him with a statue during his jersey retirement ceremony.

Wilt Chamberlain

There’s no question that Wilt Chamberlain is one of the best to ever play the game. The late 7-foot-1 center currently holds the NBA single-game scoring record with 100 points.

In addition to this, he also won two NBA championships. Statistically the most dominant scorer and rebounder, Chamberlain’s legacy continues to be honored in Philadelphia.

Dominique Wilkins

With spectacular highlight reels, Dominique Wilkins surely electrified the city of Atlanta with his thunderous dunks and athleticism. He also holds several franchise records of the Hawks in terms of most games played, minutes, field goals and points per game.

Larry Bird

While Larry Bird played meaningful years with the Boston Celtics in the NBA, before then, he was a certified star for Indiana State University. Suiting up for the Sycamores, Bird led the team to an iconic 33-1 record with their lone loss at the 1979 championship game.

However, Bird still came away with National College Player of the Year honors that year. He finished his college career as the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA history.

Drazen Petrovic

It’s a shame that fans around the world weren’t able to witness the unfolding of the promising NBA career of Drazen Petrovic due to his unexpected passing after a car accident. However, no one can take away that Petrovic played an instrumental role as a trailblazer for European basketball to perform at the global stage.

The All-NBA team player remains one of the key figures in making basketball a global sport that we now know today. In fact, it isn’t surprising that Croatian basketball fans immortalized his greatness in their country with a statue.

Stephon Marbury

After two All-Star appearances in the NBA, Stephon Marbury found a way to prolong his basketball career in China. By electrifying arenas in China with his play, Marbury emerged as a certified star.

In fact, Marbury won three CBA Championships and one CBA MVP. Thanks to his impact, the sport of basketball grew by leaps and bounds in the country.

Furthermore, his presence also elevated the level of basketball in ways no one has ever done for China. As a result, they honored him with a statue in Beijing.