Kobe Bryant Remembered With 115 Ft. Grass Tribute On Pleasanton Field
PLEASANTON (CBS SF) -- A stunning tribute to late NBA legend Kobe Bryant is now printed in the grass on a field in Pleasanton.
The 115 foot tall by 92 foot wide print features Bryant in his #24 Lakers jersey, smiling and holding a basketball.
The artist, Kelli Pearson of New Ground Technology, said she used TurfPrinter technology to blow air to bend grass in certain directions to create visual dark and light contrast from certain angles.
The process is similar to rolling the stripes on a baseball field--as such, the image can only be seen from an aerial view and not from the ground.
Pearson says the tribute will last about two days before the grass returns to its natural position.
"The more I learned, the more he touched me. Him as a father, him as an athlete and him as a person. That impacted me deeply," said New Ground CEO Pete Davis.
"With our technology, I was just so proud to run out there this morning and print it," said Pearson.
Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others including the pilot were killed in a tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on Sunday morning. Their deaths shocked the world and spawned tributes, murals and art dedicated to the NBA and cultural icon across the globe.
READ MORE: Remembering Kobe Bryant
New Ground Technology is a turf printing company that installs intricate images in greenery worldwide. The couple who runs the company says they wanted to honor Bryant, who "touched so many lives."
New Ground hasn't revealed the exact location of the Kobe tribute but they say it's in one of Pleasanton's many parks.
