Bronze statue to Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna erected on second anniversary of helicopter crash deaths

A 160-pound temporary statue of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna has been put up on the site of the helicopter crash that killed them and seven others in California to mark the second anniversary of the incident.

The statue, created by sculptor Dan Medina, was placed at the site of the crash in the mountainous area of Calabasas, Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Mr Medina told TMZ Sports that he had placed the bronze statue at the hilltop at 4am on Wednesday in the dark all by himself.

The statue will remain on display for the remaining day until sunset, he said.

The sculptor shared photos of the statue on his Instagram account to honour the memory of the late NBA player and the others who lost their lives in the fatal accident.

The sculpture shows the Los Angeles Lakers legend dressed in his team’s uniform, looking down affectionately at his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, his hand wrapped around her shoulder.

Gianna is seen smiling, holding a basketball and looking up at her father.

The sculpture is inscribed with the words: “Heroes come and go but legends are forever.”

“It’s been two years…January 26, 2020,” Mr Medina wrote in one of the posts and added the names of all the crash victims.

The names of the others — John Altobelli, his wife, Keri and their daughter Alyssa, Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton and pilot Ara Zobayan — have also been inscribed on the base of the statue.

While the current display is temporary, Mr Medina plans to display his tribute on every anniversary, including on the birthday of Bryant.

“I am committed to do that every anniversary, even on his birthday I am willing to do it,” Mr Medina told TMZ Sports. “But we need something like this installed on a permanent basis, it hasn’t been done yet and this is may be a catalyst for that, to start conversation.”

“But I’m willing to donate whatever’s here at no cost. That’s the hope, to find a way to have it permanently installed,” he added.

Bryant died on 26 January 2020 when his helicopter crashed on its way to a girls’ basketball tournament that Gianna was due to play in.

The crash also resulted in an ongoing lawsuit filed by the basketball player’s widow Vanessa Bryant, with a trial scheduled to begin on 22 February.