Kobe Bryant honored with permanent display outside TCL Chinese Theatre
LA Lakers icon Kobe Bryant's handprints and footprints are now permanently cemented in Hollywood history.
The imprints were unveiled in the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre on Wednesday, 12 years after he became the first athlete to have his hands and feet imprinted in cement.
Los Angeles Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss and Byron Scott, who coached the Lakers for the final two seasons of Bryant's 20-season NBA career, spoke at the ceremony.
The imprints have been kept in storage since Bryant laid his hands and feet in a block of wet cement on Feb. 19, 2011, a spokesman for the theater said. The ceremony was one day before Bryant scored a game-high 37 points and was selected as the MVP for the fourth and final time in the West's 148-143 victory in the NBA All Star Game at the then-Staples Center.
"This is a tremendous honor," Bryant said during the ceremony back in 2011. "I feel extremely honored to be able to do this. It's never something I actually thought about when I was watching movies. I never thought my hand and footprints would be sitting right here at Grauman's Chinese Theatre."
Bryant told KCAL having his handprints and footprints along of many of the legends of the movie industry is "right at the top" of his many accomplishments, including helping the Lakers to five NBA championships. Bryant was especially struck by the everlasting nature of having his handprints and footprints in the forecourt.
"You come back in 100 years, it's going to be there," Bryant told KCAL. "It's not going anywhere. It's here forever. You are part of Los Angeles forever."
