He was the biggest Kobe fan growing up, now as a Laker saw his Statue unveiling

One of the highlights of this season for the Los Angeles Lakers fans has been the unveiling of the Kobe Bryant statue which came with a surprising announcement, is the first one out of three that will be outside the Crypto.com Arena.

One of the current Lakers players that has been known before to be a great fan of Kobe Bryant. “He was an idol to me,” Reaves said after the unveiling. “I grew up a Laker fan, obviously, big Kobe [Bryant] fan, and showing up, showing my appreciation for what he meant to not just me, but the game of basketball. I got some friends from back home that were able to attend as well, which is overall sharing that experience with everybody was super cool."

“I was like a kid in a candy shop in there. I couldn’t stop smiling. Seeing the people that spoke on behalf of him, all the great things, obviously. It was an amazing experience for me.”

It was truly a beautiful ceremony overall with the likes of Phil Jackson, Derek Fisher, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Vanessa Bryant speaking and bringing up excellent memories. Kobe and the Lakers will always be connected and this statue is the first of three, so Bryant will be everywhere around that area representing the different facets of his life and career.

Austin Reaves wasn't able to meet Kobe as a Lakers player

For someone like Reaves to be able to witness up close just how much of an impact Kobe had on the lives of so many had to have been a surreal experience. The legend of Kobe Bryant will never be gone and even though Reaves wasn’t able to meet him as a member of the Lakers, he got to take in an experience he will never forget on this day.