I’ll never forget the day “legends never die” became a phrase etched in my consciousness.
The day was Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. It was an abnormally cloudy morning for the typical sunny Southern California. As I began an early morning drive, I was in high spirits despite the overcast sky. I remember telling myself that nothing could ruin my mood that day.
Fate proved me wrong.
I arrived at my friend’s house in Long Beach, expecting a day full of activities. Before we left to get some food a pall cast over us. I got the news that no Angeleno could have ever believed; Kobe Bryant, alongside his daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, was pronounced dead alongside seven others after a fatal helicopter crash in Calabasas.
Once I processed my emotions, I knew I couldn’t continue my day as if nothing had happened. I even canceled a date, so I could visit the Staples Center knowing there would be a memorial for him there.
When I approached the arena, I faced a mass of fans littered in the street. Many were gathered as they looked up at a massive electronic billboard spanned from multiple levels of a downtown skyscraper. The usually colorful billboard was all black apart from a picture of Kobe accompanied by “August 23, 1976–January 20th, 2020 Mamba Forever.” I joined the crowd and happened to settle next to an elderly woman. I held back my tears while hers streamed freely. We caught each or other’s eyes for a moment
“It’s not fair, man” she wept.
Something in my spirit whispered to me to hug her. I wanted to but chose not to out of respect. I always think back to that moment. How could someone be so moved to want to hug a stranger after sharing a space with them for a couple of seconds? I find this a testament to Kobe’s cultural presence among Angelenos. Our shared love and grief for him brought strangers together in ways that very few things can.
Los Angeles’ love for the Black Mamba is also reflected in the community’s resistance to one of his most iconic murals removal.
Mamba Mentality
I’ll never forget the day I first laid eyes on the Kobe and Gigi mural plastered on the exterior of Hardcore Fitness.
The sun crept into the sky, as it illuminated idle downtown streets. I rode my bike home after my usual early morning gym session. As I cruised south on Grand St. past Hardcore Fitness, I quickly slammed on my breaks. The stunned nature of the mural compelled me to dismount and I took a picture. I stood before the mural awed by the artistry. I loved the way they gazed at each other as they stood above milky clouds with crisply detailed angel wings on their back. What added to its sense of beauty was the fact that I encountered this mural after I engaged in a habit — early morning workouts inspired by my pursuit of Kobe’s “Mamba Mentality.”
The mural evokes the energy of “Mamba Mentality,” a mantra that inspires me and others in the community to embark on a relentless quest to be the best version of ourselves.
While I spoke to Kimberly Serani, a KTLA reporter and Hardcore Fitness gym member, she attested to this feeling.
“Even when I don’t wanna come to the gym in the morning when I look at the mural, basically it’s like an endurance boost and it reminds me of everything that I can do for myself and the community,” Serani said.
Cecilian Moran, the owner of the gym, told ABC7 that her landlord wants the mural gone to make way for advertising. Despite the mural being listed as a location in Apple Maps and drawing fans from around the world to the building. But as another L.A. legend, Nipsey Hussle, once said “the highest human act is to inspire.” And I can definitively say this mural does that.
The team behind KobeMural.com, an organization that tracks Kobe Bryant murals, created a change.org petition to save the mural. There are over 90,000 signatures. One signatory, named Sherry Hueul, left a particularly meaningful comment.
“Kobe will always be considered a son of Los Angeles. The mural is a symbol of our hearts. He had a profound positive influence, as a dedicated husband, father, friend to those who knew him…He has inspired thousands if not millions of hearts around the world. The mural depicts the love he shared with his daughter…It brought fathers and daughters closer.” Hueul commented.
#GirlDad
I’ll never forget the day I was inspired to become a girl dad.
One sunny afternoon I walked to the USC village field to play catch with some friends. Something about tossing a football always brings me back to the childhood joy I felt when I would do the same with my father. I imagined how it would feel to one day play catch with my son. With the backdrop of the viral #girldad trend in my mind, my thoughts wandered to whether I would be as excited to play catch with my daughter.
The trend started days after Kobe’s death when Sportscenter host Elle Duncan shared a story about Kobe. “I’d have five more girls if I could. I’m a girl dad,” Kobe said. The story prompted proud dads to share pictures on social media with their daughters.
Raising a girl in a violent, patriarchal society brought an extra layer of fear and apprehension to the idea of parenting a daughter. But then I started to think about the role fathers play in raising women who can defy patriarchy and live life on their terms. I thought about Kobe and his relationship with his daughter Gigi likely instilled the confident fierce nature she exuded.
What if I raised a daughter who would know how to love herself because of how I loved her? If I raised a daughter, would she command respect because she respects herself? Would she be a well-adjusted bada— who did not take sh— from anyone?
Suddenly, the thought of being a #girldad energized me. For the first time, I was excited for an opportunity to forge a relationship with a daughter one day, like Kobe and Gigi’s bond. It stems from the same relationship that is immortalized in the mural as Kobe and Gigi look lovingly at each other.
Moran told The LA Times she lost her father in 2019. She shared how that makes the mural so meaningful for her.
“I fell in love with the idea of having [Kobe] looking after Gigi. I feel that’s how my father was looking after me,” Moran told the LA Times.
Community
I’ll never forget the days after Kobe’s death.
One day, the grief hit me particularly hard. I could barely focus at work, so I decided to seek out the comfort that came with communal grief. I left the building where I worked Downtown and headed to the Staples Center where fans grieved. On the way I took a moment and appreciated the iconic United Artists across the street which had “R.I.P Kobe” spelled out on the marquee. City buses passed and bore the same words on their digital destination sign. In the distance, City Hall shined with purple and gold lights as a nod to the colors the Laker legend donned for 20 years. People had already spray-painted his name on property throughout L.A. The entire city grieved. Still, as I approached L.A. Live, it was clear that nothing could match the atmosphere that existed across the street from the arena where Kobe dazzled fans for decades.
Hundreds of fans flocked in variations of Kobe jerseys and shirts. There was a designated space for people to write notes and messages to Kobe on the ground and along a huge paper wall. The space was decorated with a sea of flowers, wreaths, jerseys and other gifts. These funeral adornments dwarfed anything I had ever seen.
When I joined the chants of “Kobe” that intermittently erupted amongst the crowd, an unexpected rush of appreciation warmed me like a winter coat. The unity in the community was new to me. I would have never imagined other mourners would support, affirm and uplift my process. That moment showed me the power of community.
The Kobe and Gigi mural represents that community.
Based on the words of Louie Palsino, the muralist who painted the work, he might agree.
“The community, when we did it, so many people from around the world came out and watched me do it,” Palsino continued in an interview with the LA Times, “I always considered that piece like a group effort. There were people bringing me food, feeding me. It was awesome, man, just the energy that people were putting out there was just great. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I got to share that moment with everybody.”
Palsino’s experience with the mural demonstrates how meaningful art can be for a community. The property owner may prioritize his financial gains over the intangible, but ignore the positive impact that this mural has on his neighbors — the inspiration of the Mamba Mentality, the loving affection of a girl dad and the shared grief in the city of angels.
Gaming company NBA 2k recently reached a deal with the landlord to keep the mural up for another year. While this is good news, for now, the community may find itself in this same place next year.
Nevertheless, even if the mural meets its end, as long as the impact that Kobe had is carried in the hearts and minds of our community, the legend of the Black Mamba will never die.
