NBA superstar Kobe Bryant has been commemorated worldwide since his tragic death in a helicopter crash. One of those tributes is a speed painting of the basketball legend in his LA Lakers jersey, which was done in less than nine minutes.
Dave Santia, a speed painter from Detroit, Michigan, posted a video on Facebook yesterday, Jan. 27, to show his creative process of making Bryant’s portrait. As Prince’s “Purple Rain” played in the background, Santia used two brushes to make his painting on a black canvas.
“Tribute to Kobe Bryant. May he, his daughter Gianna, coach John Altobelli, Altobelli’s wife Keri and daughter Alyssa, Sarah and Payton Chester, elementary school basketball coach Christina Mauser, and pilot Ara Zobayan Rest In Peace #RIPKobe #Kobebryant,” he said in the caption.
The video has garnered over 1.2 million views and 23,000 shares as of this writing.
The artist, who auctions off his paintings for charities, said he initially did not want to sell the painting but is considering auctioning or raffling it for one of Bryant’s charities.
Bryant, 41, died on Sunday, Jan. 26, while on board a chopper with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. There were seven other passengers, who also did not survive, including two of his daughter’s basketball teammates and a college baseball coach.
When he retired in 2016, Bryant was the third-leading scorer in the entire NBA history and had spent two decades with the Lakers. His competitive spirit, dubbed “mamba mentality,” extended his influence outside the court and into his business ventures.
He also leaves a complicated legacy after he was accused in 2003 of raping a 19-year-old hotel worker. In his apology to her after the case was dropped, Bryant said that he thought what they did was “consensual” and recognized that she did not “view this incident the same way I did.”
Bryant is survived by his wife, Vanessa, and their three kids. /ra
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