*Murals celebrating the lives of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna have been popping up all across the country, following the tragic helicopter crash that took their lives along with seven others.
Folks have been sharing photos of the artwork on Instagram and Twitter, but one particular image has drawn harsh criticism from Bryant fans.
A local amateur artist in Indianapolis put up a mural on the side of a gas station — 38 Street Smoke Shop.
In the mural, the Lakers legend is wearing his number 24 jersey with the team color purple on either side. He is depicted leaning on a basketball with his lips pursed and a large tuft of armpit hair on display.
The artwork quickly caught the attention of passersby who began sharing it online by people who were mocking the painting.
“You killed Kobe all over again,” one Facebook user wrote after sharing a photo.
“This is what happens when you spend more time on the armpit hair than the face,” a user wrote on Twitter.
The backlash prompted residents to remove the mural, the report states. It was covered over with purple paint and all that remains is an outline of the star Los Angeles player (see image above).
Meanwhile, from Los Angeles to New York, fans of Kobe Bryant have been capturing his special bond with daughter Gianna (nicknamed Gigi) in murals across the nation — check out a few below.
