Unfortunate Kobe Bryant News Emerges on Wednesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dean Koutouratsas | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 12:53 PM ET

A mural in downtown Los Angeles depicting Los Angeles Lakers all-time great Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna Bryant, was vandalized on Tuesday, according to a TMZ Sports report.

The mural on the side of a building was covered in white spray-painted bubble letters across the portrait. The incident comes just days after the artist Sole Motions fixed the mural on Friday after a previous incident, per the TMZ Sports report.

The first time resulted from an apparent rivalry between street artists but was restored with help from a current Lakers player. Guard Luka Dončić, who had been traded to Los Angeles from the Dallas Mavericks in return for forward Anthony Davis on Feb. 1, donated $5,000 to a fundraiser the artist organized.

“Fully restored Kobe and Gigi mural with graffiti protection, all thanks to Luka Dončić and everyone who donated to the GoFundMe,” Motions said on Friday.

The artist continued, “It’s great how a bad situation can bring so many people together to bring something back greater. I felt the Los Angeles love on this one.”

Unfortunately, because vandalism has happened again, the artist said he’s looking for a new location to re-create the mural. He told TMZ Sports he hasn’t decided where it will go.

The artwork was made to honor the memory of Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant, who died in a tragic helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020, in Los Angeles. Motions' mural is just one of many created across Los Angeles and the world to honor the basketball legend and his daughter.

There are multiple paintings in Orange County, California, and one in front of the Crypto.com arena located in downtown Los Angeles, where the Lakers play. There are also murals in Italy, France, Spain and Germany, according to Kobemural.com.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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