An art teacher in Zibo, East China's Shandong Province, used a basketball to paint Kobe's portrait on a wall in memory of Kobe Bryant on his 43rd birthday on Monday, saying that the Mamba Mentality has been an encouragement to him. Photo: Toutiao News

An art teacher in Zibo, East China's Shandong Province, used a basketball to paint Kobe's portrait on a wall in memory of Kobe Bryant on his 43rd birthday on Monday, saying that the Mamba Mentality has been an encouragement to him.

On the white wall of a building, the art teacher named Shen Jingyu painted a portrait of the Los Angeles Lakers icon, by using a basketball with black acrylic paint on the surface of the ball and tapping onto the wall for over 7,000 times.

The portrait is 8 meters high, 15 meters wide, covering a total area of 120 square meters, Shen said.

"I am a fan of Kobe. His Mamba Mentality has influenced and inspired generations of young people to pursue their dreams. On his birthday, I want to remember him in my own way," Shen said.

Kobe Bryant was inducted as part of the Class of 2020 of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on May 15, about 16 months after he and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash along with seven others in southern California.

Toutiao News