Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant had a handful of tattoos on his body, with the butterfly crown perhaps the most notable since it was most visible on his shooting arm.
Aside from that one, though, Kobe had a few more pieces of art inked on his body, and we will examine each one of them.
Right bicep: crown/butterflies
The first one on our list is the aforementioned butterfly crown tattoo on his right arm. The crown is symbolic of a king, but in the case of Kobe, this tattoo was dedicated to his wife, Vanessa. The butterflies add a feminine touch to the artwork, further confirming the fact that it was an ode to the love of his life.
Right bicep: Vanessa/angel wings
In case you weren't convinced that the butterfly crown tattoo was for Vanessa, Bryant doubled down and had the name of his wife stamped right below the crown tattoo. This tattoo also featured a set of angel wings right below her name, as well as a nimbus at the top.
This is, without a doubt, the most interesting tattoo Kobe had. The five-time NBA champ got this inked in 2003, right smack in the middle of the rape allegations that mired his career. Bryant admitted to having had consensual sex with a Colorado hotel employee — and in the process committing the act of adultery — but he vehemently denied the rape charges.
Bryant reaffirmed his love for his wife, who compassionately forgave her husband. A few days after getting the tattoo, Kobe faced the press with Vanessa, and this is what he had to say to his wife:
“You’re my backbone. You’re a blessing. You’re a piece of my heart. You’re the air I breathe,” an emotional Bryant said to Vanessa, via Stephen M. Silverman of People. “And you’re the strongest person I know, and I’m so sorry for having to put you through this and having to put our family through this.”
Quite a woman Vanessa Bryant is.
In 2004, the sexual assault case was dropped after the accuser herself decided not to testify during the trial. A separate civil lawsuit was filed and was subsequently settled out of court.
Right bicep: Psalm XXVII
Kobe got the word “Psalm” and the roman numeral “XXVII” tattooed right below the wings. This was in reference to a Bible passage, which likely helped Kobe get through the toughest ordeal of his married life.
According to Wikipedia, Psalm 27 is “a cry for and ultimately a declaration of belief in the greatness of God and trust in the protection he provides.” The first three verses of the Psalm read as follows:
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
These words clearly meant a lot to Kobe Bryant, which is why he got the name of this passage inked permanently on his body.
Right arm: Kobe's daughters' names
Kobe Bryant had a huge tattoo on his right forearm featuring the names of three of his daughters: Natalia Diamante (born 2003), Gianna Maria Onore (born 2006), and Bianka Bella (born 2016). Notice the diamond below Natalia's name, which is there because diamante is the Italian word for diamond.
Bryant even posted a clip of himself adding to the tattoo after Bianka was born:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWjBj6gAe1S/?utm_source=ig_embed
Kobe Bryant's longtime tattoo artist recently revealed the Lakers legend was set to add the name of his youngest daughter, Capri Kobe, to the tattoo on Feb. 5, 2020. Sadly, Kobe, Gianna, and seven others passed away on Jan. 26, 2020 in a tragic helicopter accident in the hills of Calabasas in California.
It was a sad day not only for the basketball community, but for the rest of the world as well. Since then, people have been getting themselves inked with tattoos to commemorate the life and the legacy of one of the greatest NBA players of all time.
Kobe Bryant's love for his wife and his daughters went far beyond the tattoos he had on his body. After his retirement, Kobe spent most of his time with his girls, trying to make up for lost time after a long NBA career. Even in his final moments, he was with Gianna, as the two were on their way to a basketball game at the Mamba Sports Academy.
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