HOW DO YOU MEASURE GREATNESS?
Mural Produced by - Nate Stranzl, Branded Arts, West Coast Trial Lawyers
Mural Painted by - Odeith and Nikkolas Smith
Directed and Edited by - Nate Stranzl and Brian Durkee
For 3 and a half years, I had the privilege of working for Kobe Bryant at his production company Granity Studios. I developed short stories centered around sports and mental performance, set in fantastical worlds filled with magic. It was a defining experience in my creative career, with one of the greatest basketball players of all time encouraging me and my storytelling abilities.
In 2020, Kobe and his daughter Gianna died tragically in a helicopter crash. To help with my grief, I set out to create a tribute that honored his vision of inspiring the next generation through storytelling - something that many people still didn’t know. I connected with Warren Brand, a public art producer at Branded Arts and lifelong Laker fan, to create a one-of-a-kind Kobe tribute project.
After two years of funding calls and creative development, we teamed up with world-renowned 3D muralist Odeith and illustrator Nikkolas Smith to create “Grana” - a 130-foot-wide mural just a block away from the Laker’s arena in downtown LA. My accompanying short film explores the meaning of Grana, a magical substance in Kobe’s story world that allows us to reach our true potential and achieve greatness.
It’s a term that I came up with that’s published in kid’s fantasy novels sold all over the world. It’s also tattooed on my arm, a permanent reminder that greatness is always within us, as long as we follow the magic.