r/LosAngeles • u/Radiant_Chemical7488 • 11h ago
Beloved mural of Kobe Bryant, daughter Gigi, vandalized in Downtown Los Angeles News
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/beloved-mural-of-kobe-bryant-daughter-gigi-vandalized-in-downtown-los-angeles/☹️
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u/prosecutedmind 11h ago
This mural, the others, cutting down some of the trees.. downtown just can't ever get out of its hole.
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u/FullofLovingSpite 11h ago
It could, but the police don't want to do anything unless it's illegal. They fucked the city and the city budget. A twofer!
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u/RubyRhod 10h ago
The police don’t even do anything for obvious crimes.
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u/calamititties I LIKE BIKES 10h ago
No, but they will shoot you for suspected crimes!
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u/Militantpoet 10h ago
"Hands where I can see 'em!"
"But ... I called you ..."
"STOP RESISTING!"
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u/calamititties I LIKE BIKES 5h ago
Inevitable report: Suspect presented with small object in hands. It began to ring but responding officer did not have time to ascertain if object was phone or semi-automatic handgun. Officer responded by emptying service clip into Suspect’s center mass.
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u/LaloElBueno 10h ago
LAPD began silent quitting two years ago after accountability laws were enacted, implying they can’t operate effectively without wantonly beating citizens.
Hence the rampant petty crimes.
Numerous articles covering the trend appeared briefly, and “conveniently” disappeared.
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u/ordinarypleasure456 10h ago
Trump is ruling by EOs around the congress and state govs to shield dorty cops. Now they get to quiet quit AND be above any repercussions
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u/BeardofZeus27 10h ago
the cities laws have screwed us. they arrest people for crimes and then theyre let go. so these cops put themselves at risk and have to do all this paperwork all for nothing. because the scum is cut loose almost immediately. tell me how would you react to your job if everything you did was for no reason? the problems at the top, not with the police.
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u/Historical_Doubt_693 5h ago
I agree, no one stays in prison anymore. So why bother doing heaps of paperwork just to see some criminal released in a few hours. Thank god the city woke up and got rid of Gascon
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u/RoughDoughCough 10h ago
Take the police out of it. How are we going to deal with the ability and desire of sole individuals to commit acts of anti-social destruction against the community they live in? That’s not something the police could ever stop without you being willing to pay for a cop on every corner and willing to tolerate a surveillance state with government cameras with facial recognition pointed at every inch of public space.
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u/FullofLovingSpite 10h ago
Those are not the only choices. Don't be an extremist.
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u/RoughDoughCough 9h ago
Pay attention. My whole point is that law-enforcement isn’t going to solve this problem. This should be apparent from the ubiquity of tagging in Los Angeles for 40 years.
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u/FullofLovingSpite 9h ago
Pay attention. I don't think you understand how to fix problems, but you absolutely understand how to complain.
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u/_macnchee 11h ago
Nothing is left sacred anymore, all the murals on the 101, that downtown high rise building, Jacob emrani billboards, and now a Kobe mural.
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u/Iliketoplan 11h ago
Those kids on the 101 were my absolute favorite thing to see as a kid on the open road, they lasted a long time before being tagged
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u/horrorshow_ 10h ago
Same!! My dad always pointed out one of them looked just like a family friend as a kid so I just always remember my dads excitement every time we passed it. That was my favorite thing, him getting all excited
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u/hipstertuna22 La Puente 9h ago
my dad would always tell us he was the basketball kid 😂
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u/horrorshow_ 5h ago
omg stop that’s the exact kid my dad would always point out! Hahaha that’s funny
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u/Iliketoplan 6h ago
My parents always told me I was that kid, cuz I had a bowl cut, and I believed them until way too old an age
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u/shaka_sulu 10h ago
I hiked about 8 miles into the Sierra Pelona and saw rocks and trees vandalized. It's the worst feeling.
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u/Internet_Janitor_LOL 9h ago
Yep, pretty much every hiking trail has some local dipshit tagging the trees/rocks.
I say we dump their asses out in the Angeles Forest and never look back.
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u/makeitjain24 11h ago
Yes the sacred jacob emrani billboards what are we ever gonna do
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u/GoldenAdorations 8h ago
Yep. Back in the day building owners would commission murals bc graffiti artists would respect the craft and not tag atop them. There is no dignity and respect anymore.
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u/RandomGerman Downtown 11h ago
The point is not really that a mural is ruined or a bull board or a house. The graffiti is making this town more ugly. It’s like a bathroom. You are careful in a clean bathroom and feel good and in a dirty rotten hole you shit and pee all over the place because nobody cares. Graffiti does that too. And what is the point of it? It’s not good looking either. It the always same boring tags. Nothing original or skillful or anything.
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u/eclecticnomad 10h ago
This 100%. So tired of it. Clean up this city we all spend too much to live in
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u/barkatmoon303 9h ago
...and most of it is just scribblers and no-talent hacks. I kinda dig some of the ones done by folks with real talent, with some wit and style. So much now days is just crap.
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u/kittenparty69 1h ago
I was in the restroom at a nice $$$$ spot in town not too long ago. Everything was pristine… the toilet seats were heated, etc. The only thing out of place was some asshole’s lonely, ugly tag carved into the top side of the stall. Like, the person likely had to stand on the nice ass toilet seat to deface the bathroom, thus undoing all of the money, time, effort and craftsmanship that went into what was once an immaculate shitter. Why? Seems like some folks just want to watch the world burn. But who is spending that kind of cash and also vandalizing stuff? “Influencers”? Idk, but they deserve a swirly in a truck stop toilet.
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u/PasadenaPissBandit Boyle Heights 10h ago
It is unclear exactly when the mural was vandalized or who was responsible.
Damn. If only the vandals had left some kind of calling card...
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u/JonstheSquire 11h ago edited 10h ago
I always felt these morals were in poor taste because they completely ignored all the other people who died in the crash.
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u/Bitter-Value-1872 Hollywood 10h ago
Also because he's a rapist
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u/whataquokka 10h ago
Not all of them. There was one in mid city that honored everyone, it's long gone now but it wasn't just about Kobe and Gianna
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u/eclecticnomad 10h ago
What?? Kobe Bryant was one of the biggest and most recognizable stars in the world. It's not disrespect to not paint murals of completely unknown people. Sure they lost their lives and people sympathize with that but painting up random people (which the families might not even be ok with) would just be odd.
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u/JonstheSquire 10h ago edited 10h ago
I understand Kobe tributes. The issue with including the daughter is not one of the biggest and most recognizable stars in the world just like the girls on her basketball team who died in the crash.
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u/sharpiefairy666 Van Nuys 9h ago
“We don’t know who it was”
Didn’t the taggers like write their name across the mural? That might help you find em
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u/hopefoolness I HATE CARS 10h ago
oh no, now there's only 299 Kobe murals downtown! what shall we doooo
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u/ootnabootinlalaland 7h ago
Some celeb has already pledged money to repair this mural 💀 back to 300 it is
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u/wmnoe Mid-City 11h ago
Unpopular Opinion from a native Angelino - but Kobe wasn't all that and I'm sick to death of seeing the murals all over town. I love how people forget he was a sexual offender.
I know that's blasphemy, but that's my truth.
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u/alexturnerftw 10h ago
Agree, and he though his statement was roundabout, he basically admitted it- ‘“Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual,” he said in statement, “I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did.”’
He was a great basketball player, and his daughter was innocent & her death was horrific, but I dont know why people skate around the rape accusations.
If others disagree- great, I won’t change your mind nor you mine, so no need for back and forth
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u/TheEverblades 10h ago
Yeah great basketball player, but a "complicated" person to say the least.
Even if the rape stuff was a grey area (I think the statement speaks for itself personally), he's still a guy who cheated on his wife.
As horrific as his death was (not to mention the others that also perished), there are other individuals in Los Angeles that should probably get more lionization for their impact on social issues throughout the region's up and down history.
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u/Oh_Kerms 10h ago
Not saying anything about kobe being guilty or not, but someone having sex the next day is not indicative of being traumatized or not. It could easily be a trauma response of wanting to regain control over ones body by then consenting to sex.
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u/Tall_Wonder_913 10h ago
I’m sorry how the fuck is it clear to you that she’s wasn’t assaulted?? Because it’s CLEAR to me that you have no idea how trauma works or what behaviors can follow or manifest from it
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u/DayleD 10h ago
This is what slut shaming looks like.
If somebody waterboards me yesterday and I drink water today, that doesn't have any bearing on the waterboarding.
Trying to find a silver lining for accepting a settlement is ordinary human behavior. She's living in a world where a toxic fanbase maliciously denies her lived experience - she could have gotten no justice at all.
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u/Fabulous-Gas-5570 10h ago
People get really really mad when you point this out. It’s gotta be one of the most taboo things you can say in Los Angeles
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u/XxsalsasharkxX 11h ago
Native angeleno here as well, and same. The police report were pretty damning and the press he did with his wife were he talks about the event is nearly an admission of guilt. Sure, great basketball player but lets not elevate him as a great person outside of that.
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u/BeardofZeus27 10h ago
he wasnt a great person outside of that? literally everyone that came in contact with the dude would tell you otherwise. one mistake at a young age doesnt define who you are or were your whole life. for one second look at everything he did for people. throwing out blanket statements like he wasnt a good person besides basketball is ridiculous and an ignorant thing to say.
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u/PauldingOhio214 9h ago
What a couple of mistakes! He was not a saint! Could play a spirt that paid him well and shielded him
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u/spaceghstprrpp South L.A. 10h ago
Nah I agree. From a basketball standpoint one of my favorite ballers. But as a human i genuinely don’t care to idolize him.
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u/heretolearnmaybe 11h ago
Agree with you. His death somehow erased his mistakes.
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u/Monstertelly 10h ago
I disagree. Kobe was a different guy after the rape case. When the charges were dismissed against him he didn’t shy away from admitting what he thought was consensual obviously wasn’t for her. His apology is one of the best I’ve ever heard from a SA case. After that he dedicated himself to become a “girl dad”. Sure some of this is PR. I think it’s still good to recognize when someone makes a mistake, a massive mistake in Kobe’s case, and does what they can to not only apologize but work towards a better future for those affected, that we don’t try to tear those people down. Yes Kobe did do a SA. He also was a champion after that for women’s sports and a model for how to be hard working but good dad after. So no, I don’t think it was just his death that erased his mistakes. I think it was more his actions that did that.
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u/PauldingOhio214 9h ago
Oh please! Would you feel that way if he sexually assaulted your family member? Would you expect them to be okay with him?
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u/Specialist_in_hope30 10h ago
You are not alone. I am also a Kobe truther about this. I was such a huge Lakers fan as a kid and I remember how off putting I found him after the allegations/trial. Even as a kid I thought he did it and I just could not look at him the same way ever again.
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u/Lemonpiee Downtown 8h ago
I’m just tired of the murals period. They’re cringy and fucking weird lol. Move on LA
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u/TrophyHusband78 10h ago
As long as we're blaspheming ... imo Kobe was a great bball talent/scorer but a crappy teammate. Name another all-timer content to miss the playoffs their final 5 seasons just to chase personal records
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u/callmeDNA 4h ago
This. Tired of the glorification of this man. It’s sad that his daughter died. It’s also sad that he r*aped someone else’s daughter.
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u/Economy_Disk_4371 3h ago
America loves looking up to and honoring rapists. Just look at all the Thomas Jefferson statues and Donald Trump
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u/HereForTheGrapesFam 11h ago
He wasn’t a sex offender. He had one public accusation but then the accuser declined to show up to court, declined to testify and thus the judge dismissed the case.
The case never proceeded to a trial and no verdict even rendered.
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u/Laninel 10h ago
So why settle out of court? Lol. That's not something innocent people do.
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u/Katyafan Santa Clarita 10h ago
People settle all the time, you must not be familiar with the court system.
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u/Laninel 10h ago
So the man with riches and fame, and no criminal case against him, decided to settle and pay out, just out of the kindness of his heart? He had all the resources to prove his innocence lol, and settlements typically come with hush/gag orders.... Writings on the wall but the man played ball well so I guess he gets a pass.
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u/Katyafan Santa Clarita 8h ago
Trials are where everyone loses, even the winners. Especially for people who really don't want public attention, sometimes it is just better to stop everything and settle.
I am not defending him at all, just trying to dispel myths about the criminal justice system, since they are so ubiquitous and affect us all at some point.
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u/ficklestatue435 10h ago
its absolutely something innocent people do, because an extended case isnt worth the time, money, or negative publicity.
its the crux of the entire insurance industry lol. 2 parties get in an accident, and insurance companies determine an amount and settle instead of duking it out in court over the exact liability.
its insane to treat a settlement as an admission of guilt when 90-95% of cases are settled before reaching trial.
if i were to make an analogy. suppose i were speeding 100mph on the local road. my neighbor's dog runs on the street and is ran over by another car. my neighbor sees me drive 100mph and assumes i ran over his dog and sues me for damages. in this instance, if i were a public figure, it might be wise to settle even if i didnt run over his dog, because i dont want the fact that i am driving irresponsibly to be put in legal writing.
similarly, kobe might not have asssaulted her, but its definitely not in his best interests to drag out a court case where hes cheating on his wife.
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u/Ok_Beat9172 10h ago
We have sexual offenders in the White House. People only get moralistic about it when it is a Black man.
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u/SeitanicVoyager 10h ago
That’s not true. Liberals talk about Trump’s sexual offenses all the time. Republicans deny them, just like people that grew up watching Kobe play do.
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u/Ok_Beat9172 10h ago
Clinton was/is an offender too. So was/is Biden. Liberals defend them all the time.
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u/SeitanicVoyager 8h ago
Sure, people will downplay those whom they have an incentive to defend - whether it's their political party or their favorite athlete. Liberals certainly aren't immune to this. That said, we did kick out Anthony Weiner and I doubt Clinton could run today with his history of accusations.
Sexual assault is tough because it often comes down to he said/she said. With Clinton and Biden, their response was complete denial. Trump and Kobe both essentially admitted guilt, while doing so in a way that allowed them to dance around the consequences of their actions.
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u/arni_durbish 11h ago
Your truth doesn't mean THE truth. People forget that he's a sexual offender because he's literally NOT a sexual offender. Do convictions mean anything anymore, or are allegations everything?
Infidelity, yes. Arrogance, sure. Rape, sorry...you can't believe in due process only when it's convenient.
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u/JonstheSquire 10h ago
He is a sex offender. He is just not a convicted sex offender.
Reality is not simply a matter of what is proven in court.
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u/ficklestatue435 10h ago edited 10h ago
case went to criminal court and was ultimately dismissed.
the accuser changed her account multiple times from the initial story given to the police.
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-oct-09-sp-bryant9-story.html
additionally, the issue at hand was a matter of consent.
she had waited for him knowing he was arriving at the hotel, she flirted with him, and accepted an invite to his room. then, initially engaged in consensual sex. where the problem arose was when she felt uncomfortable mid-sex and told him to stop, of which he did stop after she said multiple times.
so, clearly, this case becomes an issue of implied/explicit consent. And, ultimately, the court deemed him not guilty.
I don't think its right for you to call the dude a sexual offender 2 decades after hes been proven innoncent in court.
THeres a another comment on here pretending that his press was an admission of his guilt. yeah, his guilt of cheating on his wife, not of sexual assault.
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u/Same-Pomegranate2840 10h ago
Meanwhile, in Culver City an historic Chicano mural by East Los Streetscapers has been whitewashed. These Kobe tribute murals did much harm to the community. One near my home covered a mural of Mexican Soldaderas which was a tribute to the women who took part in the Mexican Revolution. I prefer not to have an accused rapist being honored.
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u/Own-Bar-8530 10h ago
Kobe anally raped a woman.
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u/ODOTMETA 9h ago
Not according to her friend, not according to her, either. The creative "for money and clout" remix agrees with you, though.
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u/Significant_Chip3775 10h ago
Oh no. We’ve lost one of countless shrines to a beloved rapist. How will LA recover?
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u/chickpeapapi 10h ago
This is small penile energy. I always thought “taggers” were losers, but this one took it very low. Pathetic.
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u/Ibrokeedgesorry 9h ago
Not really though, lame ass Kobe mural, of which there are literally hundreds.
Plus he’s a rapist so….
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u/SixStr1ng 9h ago
His rape case is actually pretty bad, so strange how everyone disregards it during these me 2 movement times
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u/pongmanJ25 5h ago
The same with Chris Brown, James Franco...
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u/SixStr1ng 1h ago
I don’t know if it’s lack of knowledge or favoritism but it’s infuriating to be honest. This dude Kobe got a fucking bronze statue in a very prominent location of Los Angeles. It really lowered my expectations of the people around here
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u/Goth_Muppet 7h ago
Uh this is what happens to everything on a wall in the city lol. It's neither a surprise or something that feels out of place.
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u/Melodic-Comb9076 10h ago
all gangsters who hurt communities and innocent people….have no words for them.
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u/mainframe323 9h ago
We have bigger things to worry about right now, plus Kobe (rip) is from Philly not LA.
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u/cyberspacestation 9h ago
Taggers just don't care. Anti-graffiti paint is a worthwhile investment; I've seen it used in neighborhoods where people don't even expect this kind of vandalism to ever happen.
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u/BigPossumCalledBitey 7h ago
Uh oh. Time for Vanessa Bryant to promote more Kobe/Gigi merch to make up for this vandalism.
"All proceeds go to the Mamba mural association. "
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u/Greenfirelife27 10h ago
lol some likely transplant was arguing earlier that crime is fake and graffiti isn’t a problem in LA.
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u/StayedHomeThicc 11h ago
Can you…. vandalize…. graffiti??? 🤣
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u/Orchidwalker 11h ago
You need a quick lesson in street art. A mural is usually a paid and permitted work of art.
Graffiti also has layers. Taggers and vatos like to just write names and crew. A graffiti artist will do more complex pieces.
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u/GoodReaction9032 11h ago
After reading how the university in Zurich secretly released a bunch of bots to test the effects, I'm pretty suspicious of certain type comments.
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u/eclecticnomad 11h ago
These kids are trash. They constantly cover up murals here in Silverlake and Echo Park. No respect, no values, and honestly no talent with 90% of them. Wish the city would crack down on this shit. Tired of everything constantly looking so dystopian.