SAN ANTONIO -- Days after news was announced that Kobe Bryant and eight other people died in a helicopter crash, San Antonio artist Roger Maximo honored the five-time NBA champion with a mural on the side of WingIT restaurant in Universal City.
- Fans recall the Spurs and Lakers rivalry
- Artist talks about the inspiration
The image is of Bryant celebrating a dagger 3-point shot against the Denver Nuggets in the 2008 NBA playoffs.
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San Antonians pulled up to the two-time NBA Finals MVP’s mural where they snapped photos and paid homage via social media. Serenity Ramos was one of those fans, and the 24-year-old recalled where she was when she heard the tragic news.
“I was actually driving to the store to get my niece a birthday gift,” Ramos said as she sighed.
Twenty-four years ago Ramos’s family left the Southside of Los Angeles for San Antonio, where she grew up a diehard Lakers fan.
“It was really hard to see somebody that you admired for so long--I grew up a Kobe fan and in elementary school, middle school and high school. I was the only one, or one of the few, that always wore my Kobe Bryant jersey,” Ramos said as her eyes glossed up. “Love the Guy. My Laker pride, my Kobe pride, it was very real.”
Ramos adopted a dog five years ago and it wasn’t difficult for her to figure out his name.
“Kobe!” Ramos shouted as her dog ran to her.
Across town at Boss’D Up Barber Lounge, Maximo was working on a second Kobe mural where he’s being defended by Michael Joran.
San Antonio artist Roger Maximo paints a mural of Kobe Bryant being defended by Michael Jordan (Spectrum News)
“I just really idolized Kobe. I was a huge Spurs fan as well. It was definitely hard to be a Kobe and a Spurs fan,” Maximo said.
Co-owner of Boss’d was also a Spurs and Kobe fan.
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“Spurs and Lakers, that’s all we know. That rivalry was every year. Either we get knocked out or they get knocked out,” Rodriguez said. “Kobe, he put us out a couple of times but we did the same thing back to him, and that’s a rivalry that we will never ever forget.”
From 1999 to 2005, it’s a rivalry that produced six championships. But both Lakers and Spurs fan bases are still shocked that Bryant is gone.
Bryant, who is a first ballot Hall of Fame player, became eligible for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this year. Fans were excited to see Bryant and Tim Duncan give their Hall of Fame speeches in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Well, fans won’t be able see that.
The death of 13-year-old Gianna Bryant resonated with Rodriguez.
“That hit at home with me because of I had my daughter born last year and she died at 7 months,” Rodriguez said. “She didn’t make it and I’m still broken to this day. My daughter died at 7 months but imagine you raise your daughter and raise her to everything and she dies with you - that's crazy.
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As the murals attract hundreds of grieving fans, Maximo hopes it can provide some kind of comfort.
“You know that’s what I want. I think it will bring peace, I guess, to some people that were truly fans of his,” Maximo said.