Street artist honors Kobe Bryant with murals

Hundreds of murals have been painted in Los Angeles, United States in honor of Kobe Bryant. The former Los Angeles Lakers star and his 13-year old daughter Gianna, known as Gigi, were among seven other people who died in a helicopter crash.

It’s been almost a year after their tragic death. Tehrell Porter, is a street artist, who  has been working on the Kobe Bryant mural since October 2020, about a mile from the Staples center.

"About a month ago, a butterfly came and flew on my airbrush. Landing right on it. I got a video of it. And then I was looking at this magazine here, and there’s a butterfly on a tattoo on his arm, so I was like feeling like a big connection with Kobe Bryant ‘cause I’m working all kind of hours of the day and the thing that’s keeping me up and working on this mural is basically inspiration and the love for arts, and the love of Kobe Bryant’s teachings and learnings. This mural is for Kobe and his family. It’s called Mamba business like family business so I wanted to incorporate people who are close to him as well, extended family, NBA family", Porter said.

He's not the only one passionate about honoring the late basketball star. Street artist Ladie One says she's also been working hard to do Kobe justice.

"I think that in the matter of two months, even painting him, I developed as an artist tremendously and you know, there was a lot of pressure because I mean, it’s Kobe, we’re in LA and I wanted to do him justice. I wanted him to be absolutely the best and so I’ve really been giving him my all", the artist said.

Even almost a year after his untimely death, streets artists continue to honor the memory of Kobe Bryant with murals across the city of Los Angeles.

The lives of those who perished with him are also being honored.