There is a temporary happy ending in the fight to keep Kobe and Gianna Bryant murals on the wall of a downtown Los Angeles gym. And while there was joy about the mural’s retention, there was also frustration about how the situation was handled.
The mural, painted by artist Louie Palsino, honors the lives of NBA legend Kobe and his daughter Gianna. It graces the walls of Tough Fitness located at 400 W. Pico Blvd. in downtown LA Located just a few blocks from the Crypto.com Arena, home of the Los Angeles Lakers, the mural is well-visited and well-loved. When the landlord threatened to evict her, gym owner Cecelia Moran took to social media to get help.
Gym Owners And Mural Artists Share Information About Possible Mural Removal
Last month, Moran shared the news on the gym’s Instagram page that the mural must be removed by Sept. 30.
“It is with great sadness that I must share that today, I received a notice from my landlord that I must remove the Kobe and LA mural from our wall by September 30th,” he wrote. “This mural has tremendous significance, not only for the city of LA and Lakers fans, but more importantly, as a tribute to Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi.”
Moran went on to explain that he was “strongly” opposed to the mural being removed and that he was “overwhelmed with grief”.
Palsino also shared his sadness at the possible removal of the mural on his Instagram page.
“I spent hours of my time creating these paintings for the people whose lives Kobe n Gigi inspired and impacted. This painting is known all over the world and loved. This has been a reminder for Kobe and Gigi,” he wrote. “This mural is a Los Angeles landmark. I hope we can all unite and fight for this cause without uniting and fighting for what is right we will always be wrong.”
Petition Started To Fight Mural Removal
Change.org
On September 14, a petition was started on Change.org in hopes of gaining enough attention so that a solution could be found to keep the mural in place.
“We are saddened by the recent decision to remove the beloved mural honoring Kobe and Gianna Bryant in Downtown Los Angeles. We believe that this mural serves as a powerful symbol of inspiration, unity, and resilience for our city,” the description on the petition page reads. “Therefore, we urge landlords to reconsider their decision and preserve this meaningful tribute.”
To date, more than 90,000 signatures have filled the petition and many have left messages about the mural’s significance.
“This mural is now part of our history. Part of Los Angeles. It serves as a place to pay tribute to Kobe and Gianna and should be protected,” wrote one. Another added, “This is callous! How can you even THINK about removing something that honors Kobe and his daughter? To install advertising? Get a billboard!! This needs to stay!! PERIOD!”
Vanessa Bryant also used Instagram to share news of the petition.
Vanessa Bryant – Instagram
Mural Has Been Kept Up For At Least A Year But In ‘Disrespectful’ Way
Last week, it was announced that the mural will remain until at least October 26, 2024.
Ronnie Singh, head of lifestyle and content marketing at 2K, announced last week on ESPN’s “NBA Today” that the company reached an agreement with the landlord to keep the mural.
Singh, also known as Ronnie 2K, held a rededication ceremony near the mural on Thursday and told reporters and fans why the company felt the need to preserve the mural.
“For weeks and months, people lined up in front of this beautiful mural, taking pictures. For us to be a part of saving this is just a celebration of basketball,” Singh said, according to USA Today. “This means a lot to our community. It’s about basketball. It’s Kobe Bryant. Our cover star for NBA 2K24 is Kobe Bryant. It makes sense for us to be involved. We feel a moral obligation to jump in and say, ‘We want to make a difference.’ Not words, but actions.”
The mural was saved thanks to a “generous donation” that 2K Games made to the landlord. While Singh could not disclose the details of the donation and agreement, he said the mural is safe until at least October 26, 2024.
Moran and the other owners of Hardcore Fitness were not present at the rededication ceremony. Moran took to Instagram to explain his frustration with how the matter was handled by Singh.
“I want to address the recent controversy surrounding the ‘Kobe & Gigi’ mural on our wall. Just to clarify, this mural was created as a memorial to Kobe & Gigi, not for any publicity that is currently happening,” he wrote on Instagram. “I found @ronnie2k’s interview with NBA Today very disrespectful of all the hard work I put into this and the 90,720 signatures we collected.”
He then explained that the mural had been saved twice but the negotiations had been sabotaged twice by Singh. He also said he didn’t support their actions or how they handled it all.
“I do NOT support their actions or the way they handled things,” he wrote. “Walking or using Mr. Ronnie Singh’s small business is NOT OK.”
Moran wants to show the “real heroes” and thank them for all they have done for others.
“The real heroes are the 90,720 people who signed the petition,” he wrote. “I want to thank Vanessa Bryant for her help in raising signatures, as well as everyone who shared and reposted the petition link, and the journalists who followed this story.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
