Beloved Kobe and Gigi Bryant Mural Vandalized in Downtown Los Angeles
A beloved mural honoring and his daughter Gigi Bryant has been vandalized in downtown Los Angeles.
The beautiful piece of artwork was created by artist Louie 'Sloe' Motion to pay homage to the father-daughter pair who tragically died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.
Bryant, who was 41 years old at the time, and Gigi, who was 13 years old at the time, were en route to a youth basketball tournament for Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, California. The helicopter went down in Calabasas, California.
Seven other individuals were also on board and tragically lost their lives.
John Altobelli was the head baseball coach at Orange Coast College. He was traveling with his wife, Keri, and their daughter, Alyssa. Christina Mauser was the assistant basketball coach at Gigi's school, Payton Chester was Gigi's teammate traveling with her mother, Sarah, and Ara Zobayan was the pilot.
There are countless murals honoring Bryant and Gigi in Los Angeles. This one, in particular, depicts the basketball legend kissing his young daughter on the cheek while they are both dressed in Lakers jerseys.
Thankfully, a GoFundMe has been started to restore the mural.
'I am reaching out to the community to help restore the beautiful Kobe & Gigi mural that has brought inspiration and unity to so many,' the artist, who organized the GoFundMe, writes.'This mural was a special collaboration with [the] NFL for Super Bowl LVI. Over time, the mural has faced wear and tear, and I am eager to bring it back to its original glory,' Louie 'Sloe' Motion adds. 'Your generous donations will go directly towards the materials needed for the restoration process, including high-quality paints, sealants, and other essential supplies.'
At this time, it's unclear who vandalized the mural. However, TMZ is reporting that it may be the result of 'apparent beef between street artists.'
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