Kobe and Gianna Bryant Statue Placed at Site of Crash on Anniversary of Deaths

A local sculptor placed a statue of Kobe and Gianna Bryant at the site of the helicopter crash that killed them and seven others in Calabasas, California.

According to Richard Winton of the Los Angeles Times, the artwork went up Wednesday on the two-year anniversary of the fatal crash.

Dan Medina, who created the piece, told Winton he only envisions the memorial remaining there temporarily. He transported the 150-pound statue to its current home by himself.

"You come up here and it is kind of emotional," he said. "The flowers, the jerseys, the hats blow away, and I think we need something more permanent."

Kobe and Gianna Bryant and six others (Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli and Christina Mauser) were traveling to Mamba Sports Academy when the helicopter went down in a Calabasas hillside, killing the eight passengers and pilot Ara Zobayan.