CALABASAS — A sculpture of the NBA’s wonderful Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant was taken Wednesday to the helicopter crash site where they perished along with seven other people on a hill near Los Angeles two years ago.
The 73 kg (160 pounds) bronze statue shows the couple dressed in basketball uniforms and sharing a loving look as Gigi holds Kobe’s hand as she rests on his shoulder.
Sculptor Dan Medina was on hand to greet the enthusiasts who took the 2. 1 km (1. 3 mi) hike to pay tribute to the sports legend.
“It’s all on my own, no one asked me to do it,” Medina said. “On this day, the moment of the anniversary of the accident, I will bring it from dawn to dusk and create a healing procedure for fans.
“Today special because I witnessed it. People would arrive and leave with a kind of satisfaction.
Engraved on the metal base of the statue are the names of the nine victims of fate’s morning turn in foggy weather on January 26, 2020. It also includes an inscription from Bryant’s famous quote: “Heroes come and go, but legends are eternal. “.
A five-time NBA champion in 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Bryant’s death at age 41 stunned the professional sports world and plunged his legions of enthusiasts into mourning.
Gigi was thirteen at the time of the accident, which occurred while on their way to a youth basketball tournament.
Nicole Szuch-Dinets of Woodland Hills was one of dozens of enthusiasts who made the tribute.
“Me when it happened. We live nearby and we may only hear the helicopter,” he said.
“And then it showed up on my phone and we didn’t. So I wanted to faint out of respect and thought this statue was beautiful.
Tributes to Bryant from friends, enthusiasts and former teammates flooded social media Wednesday.
“I know a lot of you are out there and you miss him and you still need to see his genius on the field and what he did as a father,” the Lakers’ wonderful Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said of Bryant, who is the father of 4. Vanessa’s daughters and husband.
“It was glorious the way he trained the women and brought them into the game. I hope you don’t forget him like you and face your prayers to your wife and family. “
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