Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Basketball Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie will take her place among a pantheon of sporting greats when the Sparks honor her with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Leslie, a two-time WNBA champion, three-time Most Valuable Player, and a four-time Olympic gold medalist with the United States, will be honored with a ceremony at the home of the Sparks and Lakers.
Lakers icons Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor, and championship coach Pat Riley, are already among the sporting luminaries immortalized in bronze in the Star Plaza, as are the NHL’s “Great One” Wayne Gretzky and boxer Oscar De La Hoya. Leslie’s statue is to be unveiled on September 20, before a game between the Sparks and the Portland Fire.
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“To be cemented in Los Angeles, the city that raised me, I couldn’t be more proud to be a role model forever,” Leslie said in a statement. “As the saying goes, ‘The wolf is only as strong as the pack,’ and I’ve been fortunate to have an amazing pack supporting me every step of the way.”
Leslie played college basketball at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, then spent all 12 of her WNBA seasons with the Sparks. She earned eight All-Star nods, two Finals MVP awards, and two Defensive Player of the Year awards, leading the Sparks to WNBA titles in 2001 and 2002.
“Lisa’s hard work and commitment has made her one of the best to ever play the game,” Johnson said in a statement. “Lisa’s legacy isn’t just measured by championships and accolades, though; it’s defined by the doors she opened and the standard she set for generations to come. More than an athlete, she is a pioneer, a cultural icon and a force who elevated women’s basketball to new heights,” Johnson said.
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