Vanessa Bryant has blunt reaction to fans hating on new Kobe statue

The Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue of the late, great Kobe Bryant on Thursday night and Vanessa Bryant doesn't care what you think if it.

The wife of the late Lakers legend gave remarks ahead of the statue's reveal with a warning to anyone who would dare to criticize the tribute.

"Kobe picked the pose you're about to see. So if anyone has any issues with it...tough s--t," Bryant said, drawing laughs from the crowd.

The pose in question commemorates one of the greatest moments of Bryant's career: he's pointing to the sky while walking off the court after his 81-point game.

In any case, Lakers fans who aren't big on that particular pose need to just wait for one of the two other statues that are planned for outside of crypto.com Arena.

Kobe Bryant statue is first of three planned by Lakers

Vanessa Bryant announced the other two during her speech on Thursday. In addition to the depiction of Kobe wearing his No. 8 jersey, there will be one of him in a No. 24 jersey and another with his daughter Gianna, who tragically passed away in the same helicopter accident that took the basketball star's life in 2020.

For now, the only Kobe statue outside of the Lakers' home is 19 feet tall and cast in bronze. Julie Rotblatt Amrany captured the moment Bryant celebrated his 81-point feat against the Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006.

The figure is true to life except for the tattoos of the names of Bryant's four daughters on his arm (only one had been born in 2006). The statue has a triangular base to represent the triangle offense along with five championship trophies., a reference photo of the moment depicted above, the box score from the game and a famous Kobe quote: "Leave the game better than you found it. And when it comes time for you to leave, leave a legend."