Kobe Bryant Day: Santa Monica Ferris wheel to honor Laker legend
SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Saturday, Aug. 24 is Mamba Day across Los Angeles in honor of late Lakers star Kobe Bryant, and the Santa Monica Pier is gearing up to celebrate the Black Mamba.
As part of Mamba Day celebrations, the Ferris wheel at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier will light up with a message in honor of Bryant.
From around 7:30 p.m. to midnight Saturday night, the Ferris wheel's more 174,000 LEDs will light up with messages saying things "LA loves 24" and "LA loves 8," each with a heart.
The Ferris wheel showcased similar displays on past Kobe Bryant Days.
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The Pacific Park Ferris wheel on the Santa Monica pier is illuminated in purple and gold with the number 24, the team colors and jersey number of the late Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Kobe Bryant, on Mamba Day in Santa Monica, California, on
Eight and 24 were the two numbers Kobe wore during his 20-year career with the Lakers, which is why Aug. 24 (8/24) is celebrated as Kobe Bryant Day. It also comes one day after Bryant's birthday. On Friday he would have turned 46.
Bryant was celebrated all over Southern California this weekend. The Los Angeles Dodgers are having two Lakers-related giveaways at their games against the Tampa Bay Rays. On Saturday, the Dodgers gave away a Showtime Lakers T-shirt, and on Sunday, the team will distribute special Kobe Bryant Dodgers jerseys.
Down in Orange County, the Clerk-Recorder's Office held a special Saturday opening on Kobe Bryant Day. Between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. the office gave out 152 marriage licenses and held 108 wedding ceremonies.
At the Crypto.com Arena, SkyFOX saw crowds of people gathering to take photographs in front of the Lakers' newest statue of Kobe with his daughter Gianna.