TAMPA, Fla. — Grade-schoolers at Tampa's Seminole Heights Elementary now have some pretty sweet bragging rights.
Their basketball courts have one of the coolest murals in the Tampa Bay area.
It's a big one.
A massive 80-foot-long tribute to late hoops legend Kobe Bryant was just unveiled here.
It was created by 24-year-old muralist Rojo the Artist, a Hillsborough County Schools alum. He says it took him about 300 hours, but the hard work was worth it.
"Kobe was a big inspiration," says Rojo the Artist, who worked with neighboring nonprofit the Tribe Seminole Heights to get the amazing project finished. "He talked about sacrifice, and hard work, and the dedication it takes to be successful in life."
In a dance-party unveiling of the mural, Seminole Elementary Principal Francine Lazarus says the school's new artwork will be a constant reminder to kids that their dreams are always in reach.
"He really stood for everything we're trying to teach our kids every day about leadership and perseverance and dreaming big," Lazarus said.
