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Watch: Kobe Bryant statue includes several spelling errors

By Sai Mohan | Last updated Mar 11, 2024 12:46 PM ET

The late Kobe Bryant cited attention to detail as a key ingredient to his success, writing in "The Mamba Mentality: How I Play" that he became "aware of the minutiae on the hardwood" by training his mind to focus on every detail in his off-the-court everyday life.

Unfortunately, the team involved with the erection of his statue at Crypto.com Arena wasn't as focused on details. As seen below, the statute -- that depicts Bryant walking off the court following his 81-point game against Toronto in 2006 -- includes several spelling errors. Under the box sheet portion of the statue, Raptors guard Jose Calderon is misspelled as "Jose Calderson" and Lakers forward Von Wafer as "Vom Wafer." Even "DNP - Coach's Decision" has been misspelled as "DNP - Coach's Decicion."

It seems like Kobe Bryant's statue has misspelled 'Jose Calderon,' 'Von Wafer,' and 'Coach's Decision.'

(h/t @drevoigt ) pic.twitter.com/Xg2DFRHltS
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 11, 2024

The 19-foot bronze statue was unveiled on Mamba Day, Feb. 8, 2024, before the Lakers hosted the defending champions Nuggets. The statue stands atop a triangular platform, a nod to Phil Jackson and Tex Winter's famed triangle offense that helped Bryant capture five NBA championships. The base includes the aforementioned box score from his 81-point game, along with one of his famous quotes: "Leave the game better than you found it. And when it comes time for you to leave, leave a legend."

For Kobe. For the die-hard Laker fans. For our family.

Mamba forever. pic.twitter.com/uExf0oEWgY
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 9, 2024

Bryant became the seventh Laker legend to be honored with a statue at Crypto.com Arena, joining Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and announcer Chick Hearn.

Despite the spelling errors, the response to the Bryant statue, designed by artist Julie Rotblatt-Amrany, has been largely positive.

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

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