Basketball legend Lisa Leslie announced on Thursday that she will be immortalized outside of Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles with a statue, which will be unveiled before the Sparks’ Sept. 20 game against the Portland Fire.
During an appearance on “Good Morning America,” Leslie told host Robin Roberts that she is humbled by the honor and that she was happy she was able to continue her basketball career in Los Angeles after playing four years at USC.
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“It has been a pleasure to play my whole career there in Los Angeles, to be a role model to the community,” Leslie told GMA host Robin Roberts.
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Leslie played all 12 of her WNBA seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks, helping the franchise to back-to-back WNBA titles. The center was a two-time WNBA Finals MVP, three-time WNBA MVP, eight-time All-Star and All-WNBA First Teamer, and two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, among numerous other honors. She was also the first player in league history to dunk.
In 2010, Leslie’s No. 9 jersey was retired by the Sparks. Five years later, she was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Honoring Leslie with a statue has been an idea discussed by the organization since 2019. Now that it’s finally coming to fruition, she will join Sue Bird as the only WNBA players to be honored with statues by their franchises.
Leslie’s statue will be a part of Star Plaza, which features Los Angeles sports legends including Wayne Gretzky, Kobe and Gigi Bryant, Pat Riley, Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, Oscar De La Hoya, Jerry West and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, among others.
“More than an athlete, she is a pioneer, a cultural icon and a force who elevated women’s basketball to new heights,” said Johnson in a statement. “This statue celebrates her excellence, her leadership and the future she helped create, and it ensures her impact will forever be part of the fabric of this city.”
