Kobe Bryant Statue Has Several Misspelled Names Set in Stone

Kobe Bryant's sudden death in January 2020 sent shockwaves through the basketball world and beyond as countless fans and supporters showed their love for the five-time NBA champ. In February 2024, the Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue of the sports legend to be installed outside the team's home at the Crypto.com Arena. But upon further inspection, some fans noticed some glaring mistakes on the statue's inscription. 

One of Bryant's most memorable career moments was scoring 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006, placing him second only to Wilt Chamberlain for most points scored by a player in a game in history. The statue memorializes this unforgettable game, albeit with some noticeable typos. Former Raptors point guard José Calderón's name was misspelled, with the marble pedestal reading "Jose Calderson." 

Calderón isn't the only player in the Lakers–Raptors game record with a misspelled name. Von Wafer, who played for the Lakers alongside Bryant at the time of the legendary match, appears on the roster as "Vom Wafer." On top of that, his lack of participation in the game was also noted with a typo; he's marked as "DNP [Did Not Play]" and it was noted as the coach's decision, though it was written in stone as "Coach's Decicion."

The Kobe Bryant statue has multiple spelling errors, misspelling Jose Calderon’s name, Von Wafer’s name and coaches decision. ????

(h/t @drevoigt ) pic.twitter.com/8k7M4SVWxs

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) March 11, 2024

The Los Angeles Lakers have yet to release a statement acknowledging the spell check oversight. As for how the engraving can be fixed, it remains unclear if it can be corrected or will require an entirely new pedestal for Bryant's metal likeness to stand on. 

The people who were involved in the inscription's creation might be having "ragrets" about their work.