I found this to be interesting. Oscar De La Hoya is getting his own statue outside STAPLES Center joining Magic Johnson and Wayne Gretzky. While I am happy for De La Hoya, who I believe is very deserving of it, some fans wonder why no Jerry West or Kareem statue is in place. How do you guys feel about this?
L.A. Times: A seven-foot-tall bronze statue of Oscar De La Hoya will join similar tributes to Los Angeles sports stars Magic Johnson and Wayne Gretzky at Staples Center, officials announced Wednesday.
The date of unveiling is pending, a Staples Center spokesman said, but De La Hoya was surprised by the announcement, made by his Golden Boy Promotions business partner Richard Schaefer at a downtown news conference promoting De La Hoya’s fight against Steve Forbes on Saturday at the Home Depot Center in Carson.
“I’m going to drive by it every day,” De La Hoya said.
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wow oscar is 7 feet tall…can he play ball???
I’d rather that honor go to Shaq(or Bernard Hopkins).
dude where is da Kobe Bryant statue at man Kobe deserves one before de la hoya and come on anywhere heard bout kareem and the logo statue please this statue is a disgrace please reconsider at least with a more decent sports figure I rather have a phil jackson then de la hoya
This is what happens when the Lakers are off for so long!!! Let’s talk about Paris Hilton…..
Oscar De La Hoya, is an LA native, he deserves to be put up there with the greats. he has revolutionized the boxing game. this guy has done so much for boxing, not only boxing but the community in LA, he is very generous, and never forgets his roots. this is why his following is so big, and im sure eventually their will be statues of alot of greats out of staples center. He is certainly worthy of a statue, as his career comes to an end, LA has produced another great one.
damn, lakers need to play.. such a long time off and now we are talking about a statue..
Magic and Wayne built Staples - thats y they are there
West/Kareem - their games were too far removed from Staples
De La Hoya - I wouldnt say he revolutionized the sport but he does bring boxing to LA every chance he gets - as does Shane Mosley
Definitely not FOR an Oscar statue, but I certainly understand why . . .
Z z z z z z z zz z z z z z
i’d put Floyd ‘Money” Mayweather statute up before De La Hoya
Hell wit’it,let’s talk free agents,why LBJ is going to Brooklyn and why The Celtics NEED TO WIN THIS YEAR more so than The Lakers.
as long as he drives by it everyday its fine, if me misses 1 day…that thing should come off
dumbest decision ever.
Not sure what to think… The Lakers organization does not own the Staples Center so ownership and the city can pretty much decide to honor who they want or who they think deserves it. Which is what it comes down to. Does he deserve it? In my opinion he does. As someone earlier said, he has done a lot for the community and almost single handidly has revived the sport of boxing. In a time when boxing is full of corruption he has kept his nose clean from all of that.
At this point not only has he been almost perfect as far as staying out of trouble but he has also become a very succesful business man. In my eyes that makes him a pretty good role model. Regardless of whether other people deserve a statue that still doesn’t mean that he doesn’t deserve one. We just have to think outside the box and not just assume that the NBA is the ONLY popular sport in LA which is made up of such a diverse population.
Are you kidding me DaBoss1848… Magic and Wayne built Staples, but West and Kareem were far removed? Umm, Magic and Wayne never played at Staples like West and Kareem didn’t. When Kareem retired Magic never won another championship, so thus ending the Showtime era.
And Oscar revolutionized boxing??? Really? Is that why boxing is on a decline while MMA is skyrocketing? What did he actually do to revolutionize boxing?
I understand why the city is doing it, which is ok with me, but let’s not give more credit than there needs to be. Oscar is from LA, has held title belts, and is one of the great city athletes, but I would definitely put West and Kareem over Oscar. West is the NBA logo for crying out loud. And Kareem, well, like I said he was there with Magic for Showtime was one our great Laker big men. Guys like Big Game James (Finals MVP) and Cooper (Defensive Player of the Year) were big too. But, if they’re picking one guy from each sport than I guess I’m cool with that.
WHY???
Why not someone more worthy? Why not a Laker?
I wonder how much money that commitee got paid. There is no fuccen way I put a Statue of Chicken Delahoya up at Staples and not have one of Chick Hearns, Logo, and Kareem. To have Delahoya next to Gretkzy and Magic is an insult in its self.
heffa,
yes, Magic and Wayne built Staples . . . Magic revolutionized the sport, in general, and the Lakers, specifically. “Showtime” was Buss’ marketing tool with the NBA - u could actually watch an NBA game live on regular TV. Magic and the Lakers brought money in for the NBA and made a new arena a possibility.
B4 Wayne there was no hockey in LA . . .
De La Hoya - like i said - dont agree, but understand
noooooo u f uckin beaner!!!!
NO
i would understand why.
and stop saying that a laker should have a statue over Oscar because you sound bad.
and those who are disrespecting him also sound bad.
and whats up with the race comment? dont bring race into this.
De La Hoya is still fighting.
Kobe is still balling.
Which one of these two desurves a statue infront of Staples Center more?
Magic built the forum not staples
Magic established the Forum . . . and built Staples.
w/o Magic there is no need for a new state of the art complex - b/c there is no excitement about the Lakers
no thats the height of the statue, it is not actual size
WTF???? Oscar ain’t nuthin,!!! Boo!
I totally understand having a statue of the Magic Man but Wayne Gretzky??? and the Golde Age (not even close to being a “boy”) Oscar de la Hoya??? I’m totally with you on this one. How come The Logo and The Captain doesn’t have one already? I mean seriously…Wayne Gretzky? There’s only a handful of hockey fans here in L.A. and I’m all for that. You might as well put a statue of Benoit Benjamin or Michael Cage out there back in their Clipper days. Really? Wayne Gretzky?
bet next their gonna put kamans statue
For you Oscar haters…You guys don’t know what he did for the city of LA. He represented us in the olympics and was the man a few years back. He came out of LA and will be in boxing
Hall of Fame!!!
HOW BOUT KOBE STATUE THAT SHOULD GET PUT UP
GOLDEN BOY IS LIVIN DA AMERICAN DREAM HE DESERVES IT
honestly staples center needs to put up a bronze statue of the kobe dunk on nash. as long as they do that i dont care who else they make a statue to.
In Chicago outside of Wrigley Field where the Cubs play they have a statue of longtime broadcaster Harry Carey.
I can think of no one more deserving of a statue outside of Staples Center than Mr Laker himself CHICK HEARN!
some people keep saying they understand why they would put a statue of Oscar up. Please help a brotha out and explain because I live in Los Angeles and I just don’t get it.
this is some BS kareem, jerry west, shoot even floyd mayweather who beat his ass deserves a statue more than him i dont want to c that in front of staples center mabye its just because i dont like the guy i never have
I never saw Magic or kareem or any other laker build the forum or staples. Wait, i did see Shaq and kobe have shovels in their hand at the beginning of the construction. So do we give them credit. I did see constuction workers do most of the work.
Dingleberry, you were the one cleaning toilets. Thanks for all your hard work. YOu have a perfect name for that job.
hahahah ab4sure. your a beast man. alot of people here speak about the other greats the lakers had, but the reality is that LA isnt all about the lakers. they will eventually pay their respects to all the greats. but i really feel that this is a great homage to oscar de la hoya, already at the end of his career. An east LA kid, who had little to nothing growing up, continued his dream to be successful. represented this country in the olympics, brought home the gold, beat champion after champion, brought massive revenue to boxing, and his boxing promotion company is now one of the leading companies in boxing. great homage, eventually they will get to everyone else, right now its Oscar’s time.
Well, considering that they have a Laker and a King, it’d be nice to get a boxer statue up there too. So, I don’t have a problem with it.
why Staples? I rather see Robetille or Kareem or even Jerry West
I want Manny Pacquiao’s statue after they build Oscar’s…
GOODLUCK LAKERS!!!
BEAT UTAH!!!