Los Angeles City Council to Rename Street Near Staples Center After Kobe Bryant

The legacy of Los Angeles Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant continues.

After the celebration of what would have been Bryant’s 42nd birthday this week, it was announced that the late retired basketball player will have a street named after him, according to Yahoo Sports.

President of the Los Angeles City Council Herb J. Wesson Jr. made the announcement Monday, revealing that a portion of Figueroa St. will be named after Bryant.

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. pic.twitter.com/gvekIFOU5u

— Herb J. Wesson, Jr. (@HerbJWesson) August 24, 2020

Figueroa Street will be renamed Kobe Bryant Boulevard between Olympic Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, according to Los Angeles City Councilmember Herb J. Wesson Jr.

Earlier this week, The Los Angeles Lakers sported “Black Mamba” jerseys for its playoff game against the Portland Trailblazers. Nike also is honoring Bryant this week after launching “Mamba Week” on Aug. 23, which would have been the five-time NBA champion’s 42nd birthday.

There are several legendary Lakers with statues in front of Staples Center: Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bryant will be the second Lakers icon honored with the renaming of a street after legendary sportscaster Chick Hearn, who was the first to get the distinction.

Bryant played his whole 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a five-time NBA World Champion, a two-time Finals MVP, and the 2008 Most Valuable Player. During Bryant’s career, he made the All-Star team 18 times and he was the youngest player to ever reach 30,000 points. Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016, scoring an NBA-season high 60 points in his final game.

The 41-year-old basketball legend died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other people on Jan. 26.