A North Carolina man has created a special casket to honor Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who died on Jan. 26 in a tragic helicopter crash with his daughter Gianna and seven others.
What is going on?
- Fletcher Collins, of Bladen County, North Carolina, revealed he created memorial art for Kobe Bryant in front of the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where Bryant’s upcoming public memorial service will be held.
- Collins created a personalized casket. His company, Glorious Custom Designs, specializes in personal casket creation, according to WRAL.
- The casket took three days to make, WRAL reports.
What does the Bryant casket show?
- The personalized casket shows the Los Angeles skyline with a Los Angeles Lakers basketball court on top of it, according to WRAL.
- One side of the casket shows Bryant’s hometown of Philadelphia and the other shows Los Angeles.
- The No, 24 — Kobe Bryant’s second jersey number — and his MVP trophies appear on the casket as well, according to WRAL.
- The casket has artwork of Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant inside, too.
How did they pick the casket?
- WWAY-TV3 reported: “Through the power of social media, a friend of Kobe Bryant’s family reached out to Collins. He asked if Collins could create some type of memorial piece of art to honor Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and the seven others who were on the helicopter when it crashed in California last month. Collins says he doesn’t like to compare his projects, but this one hits differently.”
What did the designer say about it?
- Collins said: “I always dream high and hope big that one day I will do something for someone really great to help them and their family with a loss. But no, I didn’t see this day this soon or early in my life. But I’m so honored and so humbled to be able to be a part of it.
What’s next?
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The Staples Center will host a public memorial for Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant on Feb. 24. Details about how to purchase tickets are available online.