Kobe Bryant is particularly popular in Asia.
So much so that a sculptor in Taiwan created this work of art portraying a naked Kobe Bryant tangled up in a black mamba snake, which also appears to be biting his Achilles heel.
Kobe is called the Black Mamba by Lakers fans around the world as a term of endearment. Bryant has only played in six NBA games since April 2013, when he tore his Achilles during a game.
The sculpture, which is made from fiberglass-reinforced plastics, is pretty crazy and creepy-looking in many ways.
The strangest part of it, though, is how a black mamba is biting Kobe’s Achilles. Perhaps the artist is sending a cryptic message about Kobe being his own worst enemy by playing too many minutes.
Lakers fans would probably disagree and reinvent the sculpture with former head coach Mike D’Antoni taking a bite out of Kobe’s Achilles, since it was he who played his aging star at least 40 minutes per game on 29 different occasions in 2012-13.
Photo via Lakers Nation