On Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers will dedicate a statue of franchise legend Kobe Bryant outside their home arena, Crypto.com. The ceremony’s date — February 8 — is symbolic. Gianna Bryant, an aspiring basketball player, wore jersey number 2, while her father wore number 8. A helicopter crashed on January 26, 2020, killing the two and seven others. The Lakers have not revealed the statue’s design, and it will be dedicated in front of a small group rather than the whole public, except on television. This week’s torrential rains caused the event to be place inside a tent. The public can view the statue beginning Friday morning.
Bryant joined the Lakers as a teenager just out of high school and spent his entire career in Los Angeles, earning five NBA championships until retiring following the 2015-16 season. Bryant has multiple team records in a club rich in great players, including points and games played. His 33,643 points place him fourth all-time in NBA history, trailing only three Lakers players: LeBron James, Kareem Abdul
“It’s only proper,” James told the Los Angeles Times about the statue. “I mean, the guy was with the organization for two decades, won several championships, and established a standard for what it meant to strive for perfection. His accomplishments stand alone. Not only is he an influence on the court, but also in the community and around the basketball world. So, I believe it’s a lovely occasion for him and his family.”
Schröder played for the Lakers last season, helping them to the Western Conference Finals, before signing with Toronto for the mid-level exception this summer. The Lakers signed Gabe Vincent to a three-year contract in the offseason, but he has been battling ailments all season and does not look to be close to returning.
To make the wages work, a deal with the Bucks would almost certainly entail Pat Connaughton and at least one other contract. Milwaukee does not have any future first-round picks available for trade, but Schröder is unlikely to cost that much in a deal.
Los Angeles would have to include one of Vincent, Rui Hachimura, or D’Angelo Russell in a trade with Toronto. Vincent appears to be the most obvious of the three, but his long-term contract could be a dilemma for the Raptors.
Schröder came Toronto hoping to be the team’s primary point guard this season. He started the Raptors’ first 29 games before Toronto decided to mix up its rotation and assign the 30-year-old point guard to the bench.
Schröder averages 13.7 points and 6.1 assists per game this season, while shooting 35% from three. Schröder’s fit beside Scottie Barnes has always felt uncomfortable because he is a below-average three-point shooter with little pull-up ability.
