A Heartbreaking Statue Of Kobe Bryant & Gianna Was Just Set Up At Their Fatal Crash Site
A statue of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna (Gigi) Bryant, has been placed at the site of the helicopter accident where they died along with seven others on January 26, 2020.
The sculptor, Dan Medina, included the names of all the victims of the accident on a plaque at the base of the statue.
The statue depicts Bryant standing next to Gianna with his arm around her shoulders as he smiles down at her. She is smiling up at him with one hand on his and another holding a basketball at her side.
Bryant is wearing a Los Angeles Lakers No. 24 jersey, the number he wore in the second part of his 20-year career in the NBA.
Medina told NBC News that he decided on his own to create the statue and that he hopes it will help Kobe fans with their healing process two years after the athlete's death.
"Today was special because I witnessed a lot of that. People would come up and they would leave with some sort of satisfaction," he said on Wednesday.
It\u2019s beautiful \n#KobeBryant \n#GigiBryant \n#RIPGigipic.twitter.com/ccSB2lCOFq— \u1d0b\u1d07\u0274\u0299\u1d21\u1d0f\u028f \u1d0ds\u1d00\u0493\u026a (Youth Ambassador) (@\u1d0b\u1d07\u0274\u0299\u1d21\u1d0f\u028f \u1d0ds\u1d00\u0493\u026a (Youth Ambassador)) 1643306637
The sudden death of the basketball legend, who was 41 at the time of the helicopter crash, left people worldwide in a state of shock, and tributes from fans and friends flooded social media, not only for him but for Gigi, who was 13.
The accident occurred while the two were on their way to Gigi's youth basketball tournament.
The tributes came pouring in once again on Wednesday, as former colleagues, teammates, friends, family and fans remembered the two on social media.
I\u2019ve been a lot of places, I\u2019ve never been to Cali, but I\u2019m going to make it my business to take a trip to Cali and get a picture with the Kobe & Gianna statue #KobeAndGigi #KobeBryant #KobeForeverpic.twitter.com/aJDUFP3DEV— JUSTMYTHOUGHTS (@JUSTMYTHOUGHTS) 1643297099
"I can’t believe it’s been 2yrs since #KobeAndGigi passed. I remember how moved and emotional it was watching their memorial," said one Twitter user.
Medina left the 160-pound statue at the crash site for Wednesday only, but he hopes it will soon find a more permanent place to memorialize the Bryants in Los Angeles.
