LOS ANGELES — The 101 is usually not a memorable place. The freeway is either too crowded to drive on, or so empty you happily zoom along to your final destination blissfully unaware of your surroundings. In Los Angeles, one day after the death of Kobe Bryant, the Lakers legend’s specter still very much hangs over the city. So much so that it’s impossible to miss a freshly painted piece of art on a wall overlooking the 101 headed west from Staples Center—bold, block purple letters with a succinct message: Kobe Forever.
There are tributes to Bryant all over Los Angeles, perhaps none more striking than the one just outside Staples.