LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — August 24th, also known as "Kobe Day".
Basketball legend, Kobe Bryant, wore the numbers 8 and 24 during his time playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, and has a lot of fans right here in Las Vegas.
From murals to cars, images of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi Bryant can be found all over town.
Kobe's famous jersey numbers are why California Representative Michelle Steele declared August 24th as "Kobe Day".
Reporter Zora Asberry caught up with Kobe fans all around Las Vegas to check out some of the amazing tributes you can spot around the city, including this The 2018 dodge charger s-r-t hellcat is owned by las vegas local, and kobe fan, Craig Gilliam.
From the headlights to underneath the hood, Gilliams hellcat has been decked out in "all things Kobe".
You also may remember one of the first organizations in town to create a Kobe mural, Candid Worldwide. The Printing and Graphics company has a Las Vegas office located at 4795 Nevso Dr, where you can spot the mural outside of their office building.
We caught up with Mural Designer Eric Meidenbauer, Graphics Pre-Press, with Candid Worldwide, to find out how the local landmark came about.
"We have members here in our crew, that are big basketball fans and we wanted to do something to honor him (Kobe) and come together with some artwork. So my general manager said lets wrap some walls out here and show off our capabilities, so I created a basketball mural for him and it's been very popular ever since. A lot of people show up, and Instagram it, and it's all over the internet," said Meidenbauer.
Another mural that has garnered the attention of locals and tourists alike, is a hand-painted image by Artist and Las Vegas Native, Krie.
Krie along with friend Fernando Vasqez had a vision for Vasquez's business, Creative Space LV, an creative arts studio where they specialize in photography.
The mural was painted by Krie in less than three hours in front of a live audience on Kobe's birthday the year he died, in 2020.
'We just grew up watching Kobe play," said Krie.
"When he passed away he (Fernando) told me, hey, we should put up a Kobe mural at the studio, so people could take a picture with it whenever, you know, the fans could come and enjoy it," said Krie.
Fernando Vasquez felt that his studio needed something long-lasting, with substance, that would help him tap into his "mamba mentality".
"Normally he would come in here and do murals on this wall for people to enjoy and shoot with, and use as a backdrop. This was for also for the community, but this was more of a personal favor, and I knew I wasn't gonna get rid of it," said Vasquez.
In the words of Kobe Bryant, "Mamba Forver", as Vasquez and Krie say the mural is here to stay.
"So his nickname is "Black Mamba", so we figure we keep the same type of feel to it, and keep it black and white," said Krie.
The black and white is symbolic to Vasuez and Krie, who say, "Black and white allows you to just kind of look at an image and it tells stories. It's the tattoos, you know, the sweat, the, the spots on the jersey, the NBA logo, all that stuff is important," said Vasquez.
He continued saying, "People when they look at it, it's, it's not just a photo of Kobe. It's a memory of Kobe. It's the mamba mentality. It, it's a way to live," said Vasquez.
Although Kobe Day is mostly celebrated in California , CA Congresswoman Michelle Steel has introduced a resolution that would recognize Kobe day as a national holiday.
