Los Angeles Lakers Player Luka Dončić Quietly Funds Restoration of Vandalized Kobe and Gigi Bryant Mural

Luka Dončić may be new to Los Angeles, but he’s already acting like a local.

The Lakers’ newest star stepped in to cover the full cost of restoring a mural of Kobe and Gigi Bryant that was recently defaced in downtown L.A. On Tuesday, according to The Guardian, Dončić donated $5,000 to a GoFundMe set up by artist Louie Palsino, who painted the piece Mambas Forever at 14th and Main Streets.

“It was always important to give back to the community,” Dončić said. “They gave me so much, so I just want to give back.”

The Slovenian guard arrived in a blockbuster trade with Dallas less than three months ago and has already helped carry the Lakers to a division title and the number three seed in the West. But with L.A. trailing three to one to Minnesota, the team faces elimination in game five on Wednesday night.

Bryant, a five-time champion and the Lakers’ all-time leading scorer, remains a mythic figure in the city. Since the helicopter crash that killed him and his daughter Gigi in 2020, murals honoring the pair have become a staple of the Southern California streetscape—none more beloved than the one Dončić just helped save.