Shaquille O'Neal has already been immortalized in the Basketball Hall Of Fame but later this season his glorious statue outside of the Staples Center will cement him as one of the Lakers' all-time greats.
The Lakers have already announced plans to unveil the statue prior to their March 24th matchup against the Wolves, and they've given some details about what to expect from this larger than life hunk of bronze.
Per the press release:
"The statue, created by renowned sculptors/artists Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany, will join other iconic sculptures of celebrated sports superstars Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wayne Gretzky, Chick Hearn, Oscar De La Hoya, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and Jerry West. Abdul-Jabbar’s statue (dedicated November 16, 2012), Johnson’s statue (dedicated February 11, 2004), Hearn’s statue (dedicated April 20, 2010), and West’s statue (dedicated February 17, 2011) were also created by Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany."
The 1,200 pound, nine-foot bronze statue depicting a dunking Shaq will reportedly hang 10 feet above the ground at Star Plaza at Staples making it one of the best statues in the history of statues.
The unveiling ceremony will be open to the public starting at 5pm, highlighted by speeches from Shaq, his teammates, colleagues and friends.