LA was not the same when I visited Staples Center on Monday. There were people sobbing. People holding each other. Strangers connecting. People in their gold jerseys blankly staring down at all the flowers, candles, and memorabilia, in hope of their thank you’s and goodbye’s reaching their hero.
I went home that night, carrying what felt like an ocean of emotions, and came across a video of Elle Duncan told a story of the time she spoke to Kobe. Towards the end you can visibly see her struggling to finish her speech, saying Kobe has “died doing what he loved. Being a dad. Being a girl dad.”
My heart broke. Gigi was only thirteen, she had a whole life ahead of her. Kobe must’ve been so proud of her for walking on his path as a basketball player.
The night I drew the illustration was just a few days after I wrapped the biggest project of my career thus far with Jordan Brand. I was completely exhausted, I thought I gave it all by that point. But when I witnessed the hundreds of people mourning at Staples, I desperately wanted to do something anything- that could hopefully bring everyone just a little bit of comfort.
My energy struck back in, as if something took over me. Normally I would take several weeks to finish, but with Gigi’s piece I painted non-stop and finished in one night. It was the fastest thing I’ve ever worked.
Kobe truly was more than an athlete. My takeaway is that as adults, we are responsible for supporting our kids. It is our responsibility to inspire, to teach, to empower, to be examples, and to show them the endless possibilities they have in the many years they have ahead of them.
I didn’t feel it was right to sell this as prints, so I offered this as free downloadable wallpaper for your phones. I hope this serves as reminders for all of us that life is precious, and that the fact that we can wake up to a new day every day is truly a blessing.
Download the wallpaper here.
