Vanessa Bryant is lending her voice in hopes of helping a Los Angeles business owner in her fight to preserve a mural of Kobe Bryant and the couple’s daughter Gianna. The artwork has been a staple feature of the downtown area on Pico Boulevard and Grand Avenue, located a few blocks away from Crypto.com Arena, for three years.
However, all of that could change if the building landlord of Hardcore Fitness does not waver on their plans to use the exterior wall space for advertising, according to NBC Los Angeles. Business owner Cecilia Moran says she has until Sept. 30 to remove the tribute that was painstakingly perfected by local muralist Sloe Motions. The artist is also responsible for murals of Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Nipsey Hussle, Selena, Drake, Lil Wayne, and others that can be found across the city.
His depiction of Kobe in a gold Lakers jersey and Gianna in her black and white Mamba Academy jersey, each with angel wings as they emerge from the clouds, is one of the most well-known murals honoring the NBA great and his daughter after their devastating deaths in a Jan. 26, 2020 helicopter crash. The adored father-daughter duo was among the nine occupants who perished in the accident.
“I’m reaching out to the members of the community, the Lakers, the mayor of LA, Vanessa Bryant, to all of those Lakers die-hards to not leave me alone,” Moran told the news outlet. “I’m standing in the middle. I know I may get in trouble for raising my voice, but I’m going to stand up for what I believe.”
On Saturday (Sept. 16), Vanessa shared a message to her followers in her Instagram Story to please sign a petition with the goal of preserving the landmark. The Change.org appeal to the public states, “We believe that this mural serves as a powerful symbol of inspiration, unity, and resilience for our city. Therefore, we urge the landlord owner to reconsider their decision and keep this meaningful tribute intact.” At the time of this report, it obtained more than 63,000 signatures but is seeking a goal of 75,500.
Organized by Kobe Mural, a site dedicated to creating city guides of the numerous tributes, the petition goes on to stress that the artwork has cultural significance and marks, has been a source of healing to fans mourning Kobe, and is an inspiration to the youth, reminding them of the greatness he exuded during his 20-year career.