It’s been nearly seven months since basketball great Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other friends were killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, and the growing number of tribute murals — more than 200 in Southern California alone — proves that the devotion of fans like Mike Asner is as strong as ever.
Asner, creator of KobeMural.com to track all those murals, expects a new outpouring of tributes in the next few days as we approach Aug. 24 — Kobe Bryant Day.
The Los Angeles City Council dubbed Aug. 24 Kobe Bryant Day back in 2016 to commemorate the two jersey numbers — 8 and 24 — he wore during his 20-year career with the Lakers.
On Aug. 12, the Orange County Board of Supervisors designated Aug. 24 as Kobe Bryant Day as well, to honor Bryant’s contributions to the county where he lived. The supervisors made the designation at the request of board Chairwoman Michelle Steel, a lifelong Lakers fan, who called Bryant a “treasured” member of the community who “inspired so many men and women to pursue their dreams and never give up.” The supervisors also noted the others killed in the crash — Bryant’s daughter Gianna, known as Gigi; Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and their daughter Alyssa; Christina Mauser; Ara Zobayan; Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton.
Read the full story at LATimes.com.
