Lakers News: Vandalized Gianna & Kobe Bryant Mural Repainted After Luka Doncic Donation

3 Min Read
Mural of Gianna and Kobe Bryant by Sloe Motions, via Louie Palsino's GoFundMe

Murals of Kobe Bryant with his daughter Gianna popped up all throughout Southern California in the months following their tragic passing in January of 2020. And in the five years since, many of those murals remain standing, a testament to the region’s love for the Los Angeles Lakers legend.

But, unfortunately one of the most popular ones in Downtown L.A. was vandalized earlier this year.

The mural depicted Kobe and Gianna together with a Los Angeles skyline in the background. And when it was found to be vandalized, the city sprung into action, starting a GoFundMe to get the mural repainted. And it wasn’t long before Luka Doncic, who had been a Laker for less than three months to this point, donated $5,000 towards the repainting effort.

The mural has now been repainted, and thanks to Doncic’s help, it looks as good as new:

When Doncic donated the money, he explained that it was a small way for him to give back to the community that was so welcoming of him when he first arrived. He also explained that giving back is something that’s extremely important to him and his foundation.

There is a reason that Luka was so immediately beloved in Los Angeles. Yes, his on-court talents are mesmerizing and he has the clutch gene that define superstars in the NBA. But his positivity towards the community upon his arrival and the way he immediately became a part of Lakers culture is something fans will not forget.

Luka Doncic appearing on “Mind the Game”

When JJ Redick became the head coach of the Lakers, that signaled the end of the “Mind the Game” podcast that he and LeBron James hosted together. But LeBron decided to revive the podcast without Redick, bringing in another brilliant basketball mind in former MVP guard Steve Nash.

Nash is a two-time MVP winner and one of the greatest pure point guards in NBA history. And so far, he and James have had some fascinating conversations about playoff basketball, the off-court work it takes to maintain greatness and much more.

Now, James and Nash are bringing in a guest. And it should be a fascinating conversation with LeBron’s teammate, NBA superstar and another incredible high IQ player in Luka Doncic, the podcast announced on Saturday morning.

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Ron Gutterman is a Washington State University alum from Anaheim, California, and is currently a Staff Writer for LakersNation.com, RamsNewsWire.com, and RaidersNewsWire.com. He is also the lead editor for AngelsNation.com. With Lakers Nation, Rams News Wire, Raiders News Wire, and Angels Nation, Ron assists in news, game coverage, analysis, and hot takes via his Twitter account, @rongutterman24. Without a doubt, Ron's favorite Laker, and favorite athlete of all time, is Kobe Bryant. Ron began watching basketball when he was 6 years old, in 2005, when Bryant was dragging the likes of Smush Parker and Ronny Turiaf to playoff spots. Ron's all time favorite Lakers moment was Bryant's final game when he dropped 60 points. While the Lakers beating the Celtics in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, as Metta World Peace hit the game clinching three, will always be a top option, Bryant's final night takes the cake. Contact: ron@mediumlargela.com

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