A touching tribute has been paid to basketball legend Kobe Bryant at an Abu Dhabi park.
The sports world was left reeling by the death of the NBA superstar in a helicopter crash in the United States in January.
Now officials in Abu Dhabi have ensured his achievements are recognised by unveiling a striking mural of the LA Lakers player at a basketball court in Reem Central Park, carrying one of his most poignant quotes: “Heroes come and go but legends are forever”.
His name, and that of his daughter, Gigi, also feature on the eye-catching artwork, which is painted in the Laker’s colours.
The father and daughter were among nine people who were killed in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles amid dense fog.
Abu Dhabi Government Media Office posted a video of Mohamed Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, shooting hoops with others while wearing a number 24 Lakers shirt over his kandoura.
.@AldarTweets unveils the newest public art work in Reem Central Park in #AbuDhabi as a tribute to the late basketball legend and sporting icon Kobe Bryant pic.twitter.com/SLGazzZNTo
— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@admediaoffice) March 5, 2020
Bryant, widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, played for the Lakers for the majority of his illustrious two-decade NBA career.
Bryant visited the UAE in 2013, when he toured schools in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to take coaching clinics and attend basketball matches to promote Kobe Bryant Health and Fitness Weekend.
