‘Kobe is L.A.’ Luka Doncic donates $5,000 for restoration of vandalized Kobe and Gianna Bryant mural
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The first step toward restoring a Kobe and Gigi Bryant mural that was tagged in downtown Los Angeles has already begun, less than a day after news broke that the artwork had been vandalized.
On Tuesday morning, Lakers star Luka Doncic’s foundation donated $5,000 to a fundraiser to help restore the art piece, located on a building at 14th and Main streets.
“Kobe is L.A. He and Gigi mean so much to this city, to the Lakers organization and to me personally,” Doncic said Tuesday through a representative. “I’m happy to do anything to help make sure he and his daughter are honored.”
In a Monday Instagram post, the account @Kobemural shared before-and-after photos of the Mambas Forever mural in which Lakers legend Bryant is memorialized in uniform and lovingly holding and kissing his daughter, Gigi, who is holding a basketball. Next to them, written in Old English style, “Mambas Forever” is painted in purple and gold.
Now the mural has been vandalized with giant bubble letters outlined in black and filled in with white, similar to street tagging visible throughout the city.
“Unfortunately one of the first Kobe and Gigi murals has been vandalized in Downtown Los Angeles,” said the image caption. “We’re sharing to bring awareness to the community of fans here in LA, and around the world, who respect and appreciate artists and their mural tributes.”
SoCal murals honor Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who died four years ago in a helicopter crash that also killed his daughter Gianna and seven others.
The caption directs fans to a GoFundMe account to help with restoring the mural.
Artist Louie “Sloe” Motions said that until the recent vandalism, the mural had been untouched since he finished it in 2020. He plans to place a protective paint coat on the mural with the proceeds from donations.
“As in life, unfortunate situations will always arise and is expected but it’s all about how we rebound from those situations,” he wrote in a message to The Times.
When he learned of Doncic’s gift for the mural’s restoration, Motions said he was shocked and had a message for the Lakers’ recently acquired star.
“I’d like to say thank you to Luka and I’m proud he is a Laker now and representing Los Angeles and I know Kobe is proud,” Motions said. “I’m sure this alone will have him in the hearts of everyone in Los Angeles. Representing us the right way, a great hooper [and] soul. Thank u from Los Angeles Luka, I will return the favor.”
Murals memorializing Bryant can be found throughout L.A., created after he, his daughter and seven others — John Altobelli, 56; Keri Altobelli, 46; Alyssa Altobelli, 13; Christina Mauser, 38, Sarah Chester, 45; Payton Chester, 13; and pilot Ara Zobayan, 50 — died Jan. 26, 2020, when the helicopter Zobayan was flying crashed in the hills of Calabasas.
Times staff writer Dan Woike contributed to this report.
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