Lakers News: Rams Rookies Visit Kobe Bryant Statue At Crypto.com Arena

3 Min Read
Sandy Hooper-USA TODAY

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant serves as a reminder of the championship expectations that exist in the city for all its sports teams.

For example, the Los Angeles Rams are gearing up for another Super Bowl run after revamping their roster in the offseason. The Rams have been one of the best teams in the NFL at drafting young talent and they’ve managed to rebuild their roster on the fly thanks to a couple of fruitful draft classes.

Their 2023 NFL Draft haul included starters like Steve Avila, Puka Nacua, Byron Young and Kobie Turner while the 2024 NFL Draft class features headliners like Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Kamren Kinchens and Joshua Karty. By adding several impact players on rookie deals, the Rams positioned themselves well to invest in other areas on the roster in free agency and now look like a more legitimate title contender.

In the middle of offseason training activities, the rookies got a chance to visit Crypto.com Arena and see one of the statues of Bryant, via the team’s official X account:

The group is gathered in front of the Bryant statue that greets visitors and fans at the front of the arena, with the other statue featuring the Lakers icon and his daughter Gianna near the Kobe Bryant entrance.

Los Angeles entered the 2025 NFL Draft with a clear strategy to address specific needs and they did just that by making several trades when the board fell in their favor. The Rams came away with a group of players including Terrance Ferguson and Josiah Stewart that should be able to play as soon as Week 1, but there’s also their undrafted free agent class that features some roster hopefuls.

The team’s rookies are going to quickly find out what it means to play in Los Angeles as athletes like Bryant made it so the expectation is to compete for titles every season. The Rams are currently viewed as a Super Bowl contender and it’ll be exciting to see if they can bring another championship trophy back home to Los Angeles.

Gilbert Arenas believes Jalen Brunson is closest player to Kobe Bryant in fourth quarter

Kobe Bryant was one of the most ruthless and clutch players in the NBA and there just aren’t many people built like him in the league. However, Gilbert Arenas believes New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson is the closest player to Bryant when it comes to the fourth quarter.

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Matt was born and raised in Long Beach, Calif. and is a lifelong Lakers fan. Because of his love for basketball and the Lakers, Matt successfully pursued a degree in journalism at California State University, Long Beach (#GoBeach) and is now a Staff Writer for LakersNation.com. He is also a Staff Writer for RamsNewsWire.com and RaidersNewsWire.com. Contact: mattp@mediumlargela.com Twitter: @_MatthewPeralta Instagram: @matthewperalta

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