The world is still mourning Kobe Bryant.
Thousands gathered at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 24, 2020, to celebrate the basketball player’s life after a helicopter crash killed Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others in January.
The memorial service was attended by celebrities like Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Jennifer Lopez. Bryant’s wife Vanessa spoke at the event, as did Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal.
While many have honored Bryant on the red carpet — including Spike Lee, Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra and more — others have taken a more permanent approach by tattooing the NBA star’s name, face or jersey numbers on their bodies.
Amber Rose said her forehead tattoo of her children’s names was inspired by Bryant’s sudden and tragic death, while fellow Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James and Anthony Davis honored the Black Mamba with matching thigh tattoos of his namesake animal.
Odell Beckham Jr. and JR Smith got Bryant’s likeness inked on their bodies too, and Shaquille O’Neal’s son Shareef, rappers 2Chainz and The Game and soccer star Sydney Leroux subtly paid tribute with tattoos incorporating Kobe’s and Gianna’s jersey numbers.
Below, see all the celebrities who have gotten tattoos dedicated to the late superstar so far.
-
Vanessa Bryant
Instagram Vanessa Bryant paid tribute to not only Kobe and Gianna, but also the rest of her family by tattooing her late husband and daughters’ names on the outside of her foot shortly after the tragic accident. In March 2021, she added a dainty “Mambacita” tattoo to her wrist in honor of Gianna.
-
Snoop Dogg
Instagram After the Lakers beat the Miami Heat to win their 14th NBA championship, Snoop Dogg — a longtime Lakers fan and supporter — paid tribute to Kobe with a “KB” tattoo by his wrist, and also got an enormous trophy spanning his forearm.
-
LeBron James
Instagram ; Vanessa Aurelia Bryant’s rival, teammate and friend LeBron James honored him with a huge thigh tattoo days after his death. The design, by celebrity go-to Vanessa Aurelia, includes a black mamba snake, the numbers 24 and 8, roses and the words “Mamba 4 Lyfe.”
-
Anthony Davis
Instagram ; Vanessa Aurelia Fellow Laker Anthony Davis went with James to the same artist for a very similar thigh tattoo of a black mamba encircling Bryant’s own logo, a sword in a sheath.
-
Shareef O'Neal
Shareef O'Neal Shaquille O’Neal’s son Shareef — who was the last known person to communicate with Bryant before the fatal helicopter crash — honored the fallen star with his jersey numbers, 8 and 24, as well as Gianna’s No. 2 Mamba Academy jersey on his calf.
-
JR Smith
Instagram ; Vanessa Aurelia Cleveland Cavaliers player JR Smith also went to Aurelia for a lifelike recreation of an iconic image of Bryant, which he placed next to his infamous Supreme logo calf tattoo.
-
2Chainz
Instagram ; 2Chainz Bryant superfan 2Chainz got the NBA player’s number 24 tattooed on the inside of his knees.
-
The Game
Instagram ; The Game Rapper The Game upped the ante with a face tattoo above his left eyebrow of the number 8 in front of Kobe’s signature.
-
Odell Beckham Jr.
Instagram ; Odell Beckham Jr. No stranger to getting ink in the most painful locations, the Cleveland Browns wide receiver had a huge, lifelike portrait of Bryant added to the right side of his ribs.
-
Sydney Leroux
Instagram Vanessa Bryant shared a shot of Leroux’s new tattoo honoring her daughter, Gianna. “Your dad told me that you were going to be better than he was. You had the gift no matter what you were playing. I know you’ll be looking down on your mom and your sisters with your big smile while shooting hoops with your dad, doing what you both love. 2 will always be ours,” the soccer player wrote on Instagram.
-
Kobe Bryant's sister Sharia Washington
Instagram Kobe Bryant’s sister Sharia Washington showed off an infinity-symbol black mamba tattoo with Kobe and niece Gianna’s jersey numbers on her shoulder. Vanessa Bryant shared the image on her Instagram, saying, “My sister-in-law got this cool tattoo to honor #GigiBryant and #Kobe) ❤️❤️ 2~24 forever. Love you @shariawash – ❤️.”