New Kobe Bryant Dodger-themed mural celebrates 2024 MLB title run

By KABC News Staff

Click here for updates on this story

    REDONDO BEACH, California (KABC) — A new mural in Redondo Beach just screams Los Angeles!

Gustavo Zermeño Jr., a muralist who was born and raised in L.A., painted a giant Dodger-themed mural of Kobe Bryant on the side of the Eat Fantastic restaurant on North Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach.

“I grew up a huge Dodger fan, huge Laker fan, and of course, a huge Kobe fan,” he said.

The mural, which commemorates the victorious 2024 title run, also includes Dodgers stars Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, his dog Decoy and rapper Ice Cube, who is also an L.A. native.

The image is one of Bryant’s most famous moments, when the Black Mamba let out a roar while pulling on his jersey during a playoff win over the Denver Nuggets on April 23, 2008. But instead of a gold Lakers jersey, Bryant is wearing a Dodgers basketball jersey with his number 24 on it.

Efthemios Tsiboukas and his son Alexandros Tsiboukas own a couple of Eat Fantastic restaurants around L.A., and say sports are a big deal in their family.

“We’re big L.A. fans, and we just wanted to do something special for the Dodgers,” Efthemios said.

Each Eat Fantastic location has a Bryant mural, but the one in Redondo Beach is the first to incorporate both Bryant and the Dodgers in the same mural.

“This wall will remain for the next decade or so, with Kobe Bryant striving them to win,” Efthemios said.

The mural is expected to be fully completed by next week, ahead of Bryant’s birthday on August 23.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.