A new mural honoring late NBA superstar Kobe Bryant has gone up near the Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark.
Atlanta city officials posted a photo of the mural, painted by the artist known as Era, on their Instagram page on Monday, adding, “The City of Atlanta joins the world in mourning the loss of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and all the other passengers on board. Our thoughts and prayers are with their family and friends.”
The black and gray mural shows Bryant’s face with a snake in the background, an ode to his “Black Mamba” nickname.
Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other passengers died Sunday in a helicopter crash near in Calabasas, California.
A local artist, Era said he began the mural on Monday at noon, the day after Bryant's death. He said he wanted to give the mural a "sculptural quality." Another Atlanta artist, Nels, also painted a separate mural of Bryant at the location along the Beltline.
Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other passengers died Sunday in a helicopter crash near in Calabasas, California.
Onboard the helicopter with Bryant and Gianna were Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and daughter, Alyssa; girls youth basketball coach Christina Mauser; Sarah Chester and her daughter, Payton; and pilot Ara Zobayan.
Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
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Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
Bryant was an 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He retired in 2016.
Bryant, 41, is survived by his wife Vanessa and two daughters.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
AJC Staff Photographer John Spink contributed to this report.
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