Bryant Immortalized at Grauman's Chinese Theater
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Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant celebrates during their NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks in Los Angeles, California, January 9, 2011. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) |
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant became the first athlete on Saturday to be immortalized at Grauman's Chinese Theater, the movie industry landmark in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
At a ceremony, Bryant laid his hands and feet in a block of wet cement to be placed in Grauman's Chinese Theater's Forecourt of the Stars.
"This is a tremendous honor," Bryant said during the ceremony held inside the theater.
Hollywood Boulevard was partially closed to through traffic to accommodate the ceremony.
"I feel extremely honored to be able to do this. It's never something I actually thought about when I was watching movies. I never thought my hand and footprints would be sitting right here at Grauman's Chinese Theater."
Bryant told CBS2 having his handprints and footprints along of many of the legends of the movie industry is "right at the top" of his many accomplishments, including helping the Lakers to five NBA championships.
"You come back in 100 years, it's going to be there," Bryant said, referring to the everlasting nature of having his handprints and footprints in the forecourt. "It's not going anywhere. It's here forever. You are part of Los Angeles forever."
Bryant said Friday that having his hands and feet cast in concrete in the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theatre "makes me more Hollywood."
"It's not something I've ever dreamed about or thought about," Bryant said. "It's a great honor. To be next to some of the people I'm going to be next to is pretty cool."
Since the theater opened in 1927, hundreds of outstanding stars in the film indusry have had their handprints and footprints in the forecourt.
The only previous person outside the movie industry so honored was Rosa Grauman, the mother of the theater's founder, Sid Grauman.
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