Rory Carroll

CALABASAS (Reuters) – Wednesday’s sculpture brought to the site of the helicopter crash where Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant died along with seven other victims on a hillside in Los Angeles.

Bronze statue weighing in at 160 lbs (73 kg), depicts Kobe and Gigi wearing their basketball uniforms. They share a love gaze as Gigi holds Kobe’s hand while it rests on her shoulders.

Dan Medina, a sculptor, was available to meet fans who hiked the 1.3-mile (2.2-km) to honor the legend.

Medina stated, “This was all my responsibility. I didn’t ask anyone to help me.”

“On the anniversary of the accident’s second anniversary, I chose to raise it from sunrise until sunset to help fans heal.

“Today was special because it saw so many of those. They would all come and leave feeling satisfied.

The names of nine people who died in the foggy morning crash on January 26, 2020 are engraved on the pedestal of steel. Bryant’s quote is also inscribed on the pedestal: “Heroes may come and go but legends will remain forever.”

Bryant was a five time NBA champion and had 20 seasons playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant’s sudden death at 41 stunned professional sports fans around the globe.

Gigi was just 13 years old when the accident occurred. They were heading towards a youth tournament of basketball.

Nicole Szuch-Dinets from Woodland Hills was among the many fans that made the journey to honor her.

“I can still remember the time this occurred. She said that they live near each other and could hear the helicopter.

Then it appeared on my smartphone and we couldn’t believe our eyes. This statue was beautiful so I decided to respect it.

Bryant was praised by former teammates, friends and supporters on Wednesday.

Bryant, the father of four little girls and husband of Vanessa, was a great friend and colleague of Karem Abdul-Jabbar.

It was amazing to see him coaching the girls, and get them involved in the sport. All of us should remember him and send our prayers and thoughts to his family and wife.”