A mural on the side of a building accompanies the urban art that fills the basketball court next door. The work gives a new color to the Calçada de Carriche and was developed by Hoopers, a community platform for basketball players and fans, with the Municipal Gallery of Urban Art and the Lumiar Parish Council.
The refurbished basketball court - located on Rua André Gouveia, on the edge of the Lisbon municipality with Loures and Odivelas - now features a tribute to Kobe Bryantthe legendary Los Angeles Lakers player who died unexpectedly in January 2020 in a tragic plane crash. Already mural on the building's gable is (for now) the largest in the city, at 52 meters highIt features portraits of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Derek Fisher, Robert Horry and Pau Gasol. The work on the court and on the gable bears the artist's signature Hélio Brayauthor of a tribute canvas commissioned by Kobe Bryant's family.
"This was the biggest project I've ever taken part in in terms of size and it gave me the opportunity to show various aspects of my work. The connection I felt with this tribute and the history of this place captivated me from the start"Hélio Bray said in a statement.
As well as paying homage to the Lakers legend, in this new artistic intervention project by Hoopers wants to celebrate a space that unites three municipalities in the Lisbon district and which is, for many, a historic meeting point for playing basketball in the street. Among the many players who have played there are Lancelot, rapper Portuguese, who grew up playing there and will be releasing a song as a result of this project, called "O Campo".
"This is very special, for us and for the community. Ever since Kobe's tragic disappearance, we've had this idea of paying tribute to one of our heroes, but also celebrating the Mamba Mentality - associated with the resilience, hard work and irreverence embodied by the Lakers legend - and positive sports values such as team spirit."says André Costa, co-founder of Hoopers, in a statement.
This project is part of the artistic intervention strategy for the city of Lisbon to upgrade public and sports spaces, which began with AkaCorleone's intervention in Campo dos Mártires de Pátria in 2019today a benchmark for urban art and sport. "This is a strategy that we have been outlining to enhance public space, promote sports, make it accessible and bring people together, in which urban art plays a central role"" says Hugo Cardoso, coordinator of Lisbon's Urban Art Gallery. The field is open to the public and is free to enter.
