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Kobe Bryant Honoured With Mural In Melbourne

Australian fans have been sharing images of the artwork dedicated to the LA Lakers legend.
Basketball player Kobe Bryant died on Sunday in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Basketball player Kobe Bryant died on Sunday in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

Basketball player Kobe Bryant has been honoured with a mural in Melbourne after he died on Sunday in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

The mural created by street artist Lush Sux is featured on a wall in inner-city suburb, Collingwood, showing the LA Lakers legend in his purple jersey.

“People flooded my DMs asking for a Kobe wall, so I obliged,” the artist told HuffPost Australia.

“It seems like people really respected him for his skills and his charity work. A lot of strangers walked by the wall and talked about how shocked they were at his passing.”

Australian fans have posted images of the artwork on social media that have subsequently been shared by the artist on Instagram.

Bryant died Sunday in a helicopter crash, along with eight others, including his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. Tributes, vigils and worldwide grief began within hours.

In Los Angeles, mourners gathered in Lakers gear outside Staples Centre, Bryant’s home court for 20 seasons and the site of Sunday’s Grammy Awards, where attendees honoured Bryant through song.

Barack Obama, LeBron James and talk show hosts led tributes this week with daytime TV host Ellen DeGeneres struggling to hold back tears as she delivered an emotional tribute to the NBA superstar.

Kobe Bryant Mural
Instagram
Kobe Bryant Mural

Another mural has also popped up in Metro Manila, Philippines, honouring both Bryant and his daughter.

Artists and local residents this week painted a public basketball court located at The Tenement housing complex in the city of Taguig.

“This is our tribute to them,” Eddie Barbuena, coach of The Tenement’s basketball team, told ESPN. “We will always love you, Kobe Bryant.”

With additional reporting by Carly Ledbetter and Jenna Amatulli (HuffPost US).

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