Chris Brown Paints a Mural of Kobe Bryant to Pay Tribute to the NBA Icon

Gettyimages | Rodin Eckenroth

Although Chris Brown is best known for his career as a singer, he has other artistic talents that he doesn't take advantage of as frequently. Following the death of Kobe Bryant in a tragic helicopter accident, Brown decided to take advantage of his abilities with spray paint, painting a full mural of the former Los Angeles Laker on the side of his house.

Brown first took to Instagram to share the mural in progress in January, using black, yellow, and purple paint to capture Bryant's face.

Gettyimages | Amy Sussman

“WORK IN PROGRESS!!! WE LOVE YOU KING,” Brown captioned the image. On February 4, Brown provided an additional update on the mural on Instagram in a post that has since been deleted. The rather large mural includes an image of a purple mamba coming out of the left side of Bryant's face, and additional images of the five-time champion dunking and dribbling down the court.

The image highlights how hard Brown is working on the mural, and how focused he seems to be on completing it.

Gettyimages | Craig Barritt

Although Brown doesn't always highlight his skills as a painter, this isn't the first time he's shown them off. In 2015, Brown painted Tyga's son's bedroom.

He made a cameo appearance on "Kingin' With Tyga" in which he can be seen using his spray painting talents to paint a lion and a panda on his godson's walls. Now, Brown's efforts seem to be focused on paying tribute to the Laker who inspired so many fans to want to play basketball.

Gettyimages | Brian Ach

In addition to working on his mural, Brown also seems to be taking time with his family. Just recently, he posted a photo on Instagram of his son Aeko Brown and his mom Ammika Harris. In the photo, Ammika is shirtless and holding Aeko close to her chest.

In recent years, Brown's personal life has quieted down substantially after years in the spotlight for his violence against women. Brown's most notable victim was Rihanna, but she was not the only one.

Wikimedia | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chris_Brown,_2012.jpg

Whatever you think of Brown, his gesture toward Bryant is undoubtedly meant to pay tribute to a figure who meant a lot to him. Bryant's death, along with the death of his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, sent shockwaves through the sports world, and through the broader culture.

Brown has decided to channel his grief into art, and there are definitely worse ways to do it. When it's done, the mural looks like it will be a lovely, permanent way for the singer to remember Bryant.