This past Monday, Los Angeles city council member Herb J. Wesson. Jr. declared that Figueroa street will be renamed Kobe Bryant Boulevard. The street intersects Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Olympic Boulevard, both of which are located directly outside the Staples Center. Council Member Wesson made the announcement on Aug. 24 which is officially Kobe Bryant Day in Orange County and Los Angeles.
In an official statement made by Wesson made on Twitter about the street being renamed, he said the following: “Figueroa St. will soon be Kobe Bryant Blvd. between Olympic & MLK. Kobe’s legacy is bigger than basketball. #KobeBryantBlvd will be a reminder to everyone, young and old who drive down it, there is no obstacle too big and that with the #Mambamentality , anything is possible.â€
The move to rename the street comes in light of the tragic helicopter crash that killed both Gianni and Kobe Bryant along with seven other passengers on Jan. 26, 2020. While Kobe marks one of the most popular Laker’s players to have a street named after him, he isn’t the first.
What it means
Chick Hearn who is a former Lakers announcer died in 2002 had the plaza located at L.A. Live renamed Chick Hearn Court in his honor. In this upcoming 2020 NBA season, the Lakers plan to all come out wearing specially crated “Black Mamba†uniforms of Game four in the opening-round playoff series which will take place against the Portland Trailblazers on Monday.
Kobe Bryant made a huge impact on the game of basketball and especially the Lakers organization. This nod to him and his daughter as both of their legacies are cemented in fans hearts across the world is heart-warming during times of such much instability around the world.
August 24th is Kobe Bryant’s birthday and his wife Vanessa Bryant recently shared a very heart-felt message on what would’ve been the basketball sensation’s 42nd birthday. In an Instagram post, Vanessa Bryant said the following: “To my baby~ Happy birthday. I love you and miss you more than I can ever explain. I wish you and Gigi were here to celebrate YOU! I wish I could make you your fav food or a birthday cake with my Gigi. I miss your big hugs, your kisses, your smile, your loud ass deep laugh.â€
She continued by saying: “I miss teasing you, making you laugh and bursting your bubble. I miss you sitting on my lap like my big baby that you are. I think about your tenderness and patience all the time. I think about everything you would do in situations to help me deal with everything thrown my way.â€
What to expect
As the news of Kobe Bryant’s untimely death is still shocking for many people, it’s great to see that close friends and family are taking strides to deal with the pain healthily. No word on when the official street renaming ceremony will take place but you can expect it will be very soon.