The Heartbreaking Detail On Kobe And Gigi's Memorial Statue That Some Fans Missed

The devastating loss of Kobe Bryant and his teenage daughter, Gianna Bryant, is still being felt in the wake of their untimely deaths as the result of a helicopter crash in January 2020. Kobe and Gianna died alongside seven other victims, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, and the helicopter's pilot, Ara Zobayan. No one onboard the ill-fated helicopter survived the crash after it went down in a mountainous area of Calabasas, California.

Tributes to the victims have continued to pour in the wake of the crash, with one of the most poignant being erected on the second anniversary of the horrific accident — a bronze statue depicting Kobe and Gianna, which was set up on the site of the accident on the second anniversary of the tragedy. Dan Medina, who created the piece, explained to TMZ Sports that it was a temporary sculpture that he hoped would lead the way for something bigger and more permanent to be placed there.

However, not everyone was so happy with the piece for one big reason that may actually have all been a big misunderstanding.

After photos of the Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant statue began to pop up online in January, many fans slammed the artwork claiming it was disrespectful to the other innocent victims who lost their lives in the accident. Twitter in particular was flooded with comments.

"That is nice," one person wrote in response to a story about the statue, "but what about all the others?? There should have been something to commemorate all the young lives lost that day." Another hit back, "What about the other victims of the abhorrent tragedy? Are their lives valued less than Kobe's? Do their families not deserve a memorial honoring their lives, aspersions, or accomplishments?"

"A statue should commemorate ALL THE VICTIMS of the crash. Not just #Kobe & his daughter. Many died. They all had worth beyond sports," a third commented.

But what many of those hitting out at the statue likely missed is that the artist, Dan Medina, made sure John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, and Ara Zobayan were also paid tribute to as well.

The sentimental piece features the words, "Heroes come and go but legends are forever," along the bottom, which is also where the names of every victim were engraved to honor of all those who lost their lives as a result of the accident, TMZ Sports reported.

Our thoughts continue to be with the family and friends of all the victims of the horrific crash.