Kobe and Gianna Bryant Mural in Los Angeles Vandalized in Random Act

Ever since their tragic passing, Hall of Fame Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna have been commemorated in murals all across, not just greater Los Angeles, but the world at large.

Kobe Bryant had ended his basketball journey by the time of his death, while Gianna Bryant was just beginning hers. They are widely regarded as Los Angeles royalty.

So it becomes all the more shocking that one of the many murals celebrating the starry duo, in the heart of Lakers-land, has now been defaced, as Joseph Sarna of The Los Angeles Times reports.

As Serna notes, Instagram account @Kobemural revealed before-and-after footage of the mural, created by artist Loui "Sloe" Motion, located at 1361 Main Street in downtown Los Angeles.

"Unfortunately one of the first Kobe and Gigi murals has been vandalized in Downtown Los Angeles," writes @Kobemural. "We're sharing to bring awareness to the community of fans here in LA, and around the world, who respect and appreciate artists and their mural tributes."

In the image, Bryant is seen embracing his young daughter Gianna. Gianna is clutching a basketball. It appears to be a recreation of a still featuring Bryant celebrating his 2009 NBA championship. A purple and gold "Mambas Forever," in a flowing old English font, also adorns the mural.

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The Instagram account goes on to point to a fundraiser opportunity to help reconstruct the mural.

"Visit our bio link or IG story for a GoFundMe to help donate to the restoration and protection for the mural," @Kobemural continues. "Any amount helps."

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Then-Los Angeles general manager Jerry West, a Hall of Fame superstar Lakers guard in his day (he is, after all, the league's logo), traded center Vlade Divac for the right to draft Bryant straight out of Lower Merion High School with the No. 13 pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. West also poached All-NBA center Shaquille O'Neal away from the Orlando Magic that same summer, setting up the core of the league's next dynastic franchise.

Bryant and O'Neal would go on to win three consecutive titles together, from the 1999-2000 season through 2001-02, and appear in one more NBA Finals, in 2004. Tensions between the duo led to West's replacement, Mitch Kupchak, deciding to trade O'Neal to the Miami Heat after L.A. was vanquished in five games by the Detroit Pistons in 2004.

Following a wilderness period that saw Bryant struggle to go far in the Western Conference alongside subpar personnel, Kupchak acquired Bryant's next eventual Hall of Fame big man teammate, Pau Gasol, at the 2008 trade deadline. That set up an encore run for Bryant, which saw the 6-foot-6 swingman and Gasol march to three straight Finals, winning two titles in 2009 and 2010.

Bryant spent all 20 of his pro seasons in Los Angeles, and hung up his sneakers in 2016 with regular season averages of 25.0 points on .447/.329/.837 shooting splits, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks per bout.

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