Kobe Bryant Statue Has 2 Misspelled Names, 1 Misspelled Word

Bryant’s statue is of his 81-point game during the Los Angeles Lakers-Toronto Raptors game on January 22, 2006. 

On the statue, Raptors guard Jose Calderon‘s last name is spelled “Calderson” and Lakers guard Von Wafer‘s first name is spelled “Vom.”

The statue also misspelled “Coach’s Decision” for Wafer in the “DNP” section. It was spelled “Coach’s Decicion.”

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, the Lakers plan to fix the errors on the statue. 

“We have been aware of this for a few weeks and are already working to get it corrected soon,” a Lakers spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.

One of the best players in NBA history, Bryant averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks in 1,346 regular-season games with the Lakers. He was an 18-time All-Star, five-time champion, four-time All-Star Game MVP, two-time Finals MVP, two-time scoring champion, 15-time All-NBA Team member, 12-time All-Defensive Team member and the 2007-08 MVP.

Bryant is fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He scored 33,643 points during his legendary career. 

The Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals during the Bryant era. Bryant won three titles with Shaquille O’Neal and two with Pau Gasol. The Lakers retired both of Bryant’s numbers (8 and 24) after he retired in 2016.

The NBA community was devastated when Bryant passed away in 2020. The 2019-20 Lakers, led by LeBron James — who was close with Bryant — won the 2020 championship over the Miami Heat at the Walt Disney World bubble as their way of honoring Bryant.