Kobe and Gigi Bryant Tribute

 Kobe and Gigi Bryant Tribute (Custom drawing)—Sacramento Kings/Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA

After the tragic helicopter crash killing basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi, many were devastated, in shock, and needing to grieve. The Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers have always been rivals, but even so, the Kings wanted pay tribute to Kobe–and his daughter–in a big way.

I was asked to do drawings of both Kobe and Gigi that would be used in various ways to honor their lives. The first being the end card and thumbnail for the beautiful tribute video put together by the Sacramento Kings video team. The video was shown during the Kings vs. Lakers game the weekend following the tragic accident and can be found on YouTube, as well as the Sacramento Kings instagram. The drawing was also featured in a memorial mural outside the Golden 1 Center. Here, fans signed the mural with loving thoughts and prayers, and even left Kobe memorabilia such as his jersey, Lakers gear, etc. Finally, the individual drawings were highlighted on the digital plaza boards of the Golden 1 Center for fans to see as they walked into the arena, or even just for shoppers to admire as they strolled through the plaza. This was truly the most meaningful, emotional, and inspiring drawing I have done, and an amazing project to be a part of.

The Process

Final Applications

The drawings of Kobe and Gigi were the center feature of the memorial mural (designed by the Art Director of the Sacramento Kings) outside the Golden 1 Center. On either side there there are framed photos of Kobe with old Kings players and coaches. This mural served a site for fans to share their favorite memories of Kobe, write prayers or loving messages, and leave treasured Kobe or Laker items.