Kobe Bryant, daughter Gianna depicted in statue at site of fatal helicopter crash

The statue, created by sculptor Dan Medina, shows Kobe Bryant in his Lakers uniform with his arm around Gianna.

ByTravis Caldwell and Sarah Moon, CNN, CNNWire
Thursday, January 27, 2022
Kobe fans honor the legend 2 years after his fatal helicopter crash
Dan Medina, a Kobe Bryant fan, honored the NBA great by placing a huge sculpture of him and daughter Gianna near the site of the helicopter crash.

LOS ANGELES -- A bronze statue of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna was placed Wednesday at the crash site in Calabasas, California, where the Bryants and seven others were killed.

Wednesday marked two years since the helicopter crash, which was determined by federal investigators as having been caused by pilot disorientation due to foggy conditions.

The statue, created by sculptor Dan Medina, shows Kobe Bryant in his Lakers uniform with his arm around Gianna, who is also wearing a basketball uniform with a basketball in her hand.

The base of the statue has the names of all nine crash victims inscribed on a plaque.

Medina told our sister station KABC the statue would remain at the site temporarily. CNN has reached out to Medina for additional comment.

A lawsuit related to the crash is set to go to trial soon as lawyers for Vanessa Bryant -- Kobe's wife and Gianna's mother -- allege photos of the area following the crash, including images of those who died, were shared widely amongst police and fire employees. The trial is to begin on February 22.

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