Bill Plaschke: Kobe Bryant statue a perfect portrayal of Lakers legend's inclusiveness and defiance

The confetti erupted and the curtain came down and, amid audible gasps, there appeared a muscular, bronze figure doing something nobody expected.

Kobe Bryant isn't shooting. He isn't scoring. He isn't celebrating.

He is sharing.

He is walking off the court after his 81-point game in 2006 and pointing to the fans as if to say, "This was for you."

It is not the swaggering Kobe most people remember, but it is the inclusive and unselfish Kobe that he had become.

At first glance it was weird, but upon further inspection it was perfect.

The long-awaited unveiling of Bryant's statue at the Crypto.com