Celia Moran, the owner of a Los Angeles gym, is fighting to keep the Kobe mural alive

Owner of Hardcore Fitness Cecilia Moran said, “I know I may get in trouble for raising my voice, but I’m going to stand up for what I believe.”

An owner of a gym in Los Angeles is battling to preserve a painting honoring Kobe and Gianna Bryant on the wall of her facility.

On Friday, the gym’s owner, Cecilia Moran, said the artwork will soon be taken down on Instagram.

The artwork, which Louie Palsino painted, shows the late NBA icon and his daughter, who passed away in a helicopter accident in January 2020, gazing affectionately at one other while wearing angel wings.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ home court, Crypto.com Arena, is located close to Hardcore Fitness, which is located in downtown Los Angeles. “With profound sadness, I must share that today, I received notice from my landlord that I must remove the Kobe and LA mural from our walls by September 30,” Moran wrote online.

“This mural is a tribute to Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi, and it has great significance not only for the Lakers fans and the city of Los Angeles,” she went on. “@sloe_motions created this mural with unending love and my unwavering support.”

“This saddens me, and I’m against this mural being taken down. She concluded the message by pleading for assistance in maintaining the painting in its original location. “While I respect regulations, I fervently hope there might be a way to preserve this artwork,” she said.

After learning of the request to take the painting down, Moran has discussed the circumstances with several media sources.

“It’s a mural that pays tribute to a legendary figure,” she described the artwork to the publication. She said that to create room for advertising, her landlord wanted it taken down.

“I explained that I don’t think it’s right,” the owner of Hardcore Fitness remarked. “That mural has great significance for the city and Kobe supporters and helps with advertising.

I said, “I disagree.” I do not want to offend the supporters, but I do not believe the mural should be taken down.

According to the Times, Moran’s landlord threatened to personally remove the artwork and mail her the cost if she didn’t.

Echoing Moran, Palsino told the newspaper, “You gotta put some sense into it, man, and think about it and what it means to L.A.” Palsino created the mural more than three years ago.

“It’s beneficial for him, his property, and everyone involved in this, even if the landlord wants to make money because that’s a landmark people travel from all over the world to visit,” he said. “I don’t see much sense in taking it down for advertisement,” Palsino said.

Despite not getting her landlord’s approval for the artwork, Moran told the newspaper that he was informed about it before it was finished and did not complain.

Moran, whose father passed away in 2019, told the Times that she “fell in love with the idea of having [Kobe] looking after Gigi” and decided to let Palsino paint the picture.

“I said, ‘Yes, let’s do it,’ because I feel like that’s how my father is taking care of me,” she said.

Soon after Kobe and Gianna passed away, Palsino spoke with Moran about the mural and offered to paint it at no cost to him. The gym owner contributed $2,500 for project-related materials and equipment.

According to Palsino, the painting was “like a group effort,” and “the community, when we did it, so many people from around the world came out and watched me do it.”

“People were bringing me food, feeding me,” he said. It was incredible; the sheer energy that individuals exuded wasterrific. It was undoubtedly an event of a lifetime, and I got to share it with everyone.

Almost 18,000 people have signed a Change.org petition as of Saturday afternoon, pleading for Moran’s landlord to “reconsider their decision and keep this meaningful tribute intact.”

In an interview, Moran said, “I’m reaching out to the community, the Lakers, the mayor of L.A., Vanessa Bryant, to all of those Lakers diehards not to leave me alone.” “I am positioned in the center. I may face consequences for speaking out, but will not back down from my convictions.