The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the great all-time dynasties of professional sports. Love them or hate them, every basketball fan has been awed watching the likes of Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Shaq, and other Laker greats as they dominated the hardwood. One local church paid the legendary franchise huge respect in the form of an on-court mural.

The Southside Christian Church in Inglewood was chosen by artist Gustavo Vermeno Jr. as the site of a new project. TMZ reports that Zermeno worked with Veniceball and Project Basketball to repaint the court. The famed artist created a work of beauty worthy of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The court got a complete makeover, including a full-court mural paying tribute to the team’s all-time greats. The pastor happens to also be a huge Lakers fan. The theme was a perfect fit. Zermeno said part of the idea was to send a message to the church’s newest neighbors.

“It means the world really. It’s also right next door to the new Clippers arena so it also shows this is still a Lakers town [laughs].”

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The focal point of the painting is Kobe Bryant, as he takes to the air for a thunderous reverse dunk. Other Lakers legends included are Pau Gasol, James Worth, Magic Johnson, Shaq, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and more. Zermeno did a fantastic job paying homage to the team’s past, present, and future. Notable in his absence is LeBron James, although that might be for a future update.

The mural took about two weeks to complete. Zermeno worked with his friend Nick Flax. Ten hours of work a day coupled with $3,000 worth of paint later, the Southside Christian Church now has the coolest basketball court in southern California.

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Michael Perry

Michael Perry is a news contributor for Ringside News and Thirsty for News. Michael has an M.A. in Communication Technology from Point Park University in his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA.

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