Lakers News: Mural Depicts LeBron James Looking Up At Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal

Matthew Moreno
3 Min Read
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James signing with the Los Angeles Lakers created an interesting dynamic within the fanbase as there is a faction who understandably remain ardent supporters of Kobe Bryant. However, with that, some view James as an inferior player to the five-time champion.

Bryant and James spent much of their careers compared to one another and pitted as rivals. While that’s been drummed up, the two often raved about each other, and Bryant has continued to do so since retiring.

Nonetheless, fans took exception to a mural that was painted, which paid homage to James signing with the Lakers. It mentioned the 14-time All-Star as being the “King of LA,” which may have been the source behind some of the backlash.

The disapproval led to the mural being vandalized and artist Jonas Never making a decision to remove it. He joked about learning now to produce any art that could be perceived as a slight to Bryant.

While Never’s work is no longer up, another mural, one that depicts Bryant, Shaquille O’neal and other Lakers legends, has been painted in another part of Los Angeles, via ESPN

Josh Hart was among those to voice his disappointment over the vandalism of James’ mural.

James’ decision to sign with the Lakers dramatically alters the franchise’s outlook but also puts more of a microscope on himself. Whatever success that’s achieved or shortcomings that arise, James will endlessly be compared to Bryant and what he accomplished with the Lakers.

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Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com
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