With each stroke of a spray can, Arutyun Gozukuchikyan refined the details of a Luka Doncic mural — brought to life in colors he never imagined.
“I never thought he was gonna come to [the] Lakers,” Gozukuchikyan told ESPN, referencing the blockbuster trade that sent Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers this month.
As purple slowly covered Doncic’s undershirt, someone behind Gozukuchikyan photographed the moment. Overhead, cotton candy clouds painted the Los Angeles sky.
In a city full of murals honoring Kobe Bryant, Gozukuchikyan added another piece, this time paying homage to the Lakers great by welcoming a player fans believe could be the next one.
Located on Melrose Ave., just 10 miles from Crypto.com Arena, the mural captures a moment from the last Lakers game Bryant and his daughter Gianna attended in December 2019. It depicts Doncic and Kobe sharing a postgame high-five, both with wide smiles — after Bryant famously heckled Doncic in Slovenian mid-game.
“I remember the exact moment that that happened. It will always stay in my mind. It was an amazing moment,” said Doncic in his Lakers introductory news conference. “Just for Kobe to know my name was amazing for me. I just wish Kobe and Gigi were here to see this moment.”
As the sun set, Gozukuchikyan’s mural was still coming together, but the blueprint was there. He was deep in his work when an onlooker showed him photos they captured. A quick AirDrop later and Gozukuchikyan’s quiet project had gone viral.
“It was just Luka up in this white background and the sky looked so crazy, like vibrant colors,” he said. “So I was like wow what an epic picture, I’m posting this. And yeah, it just started from there.”
Gozukuchikyan posted them on his Instagram, @artoon_art, and it gained steam. The page @Kobemural, which documents public murals of Kobe and Gianna worldwide, teased the piece on social media with a video of it before completion that quickly garnered thousands of views.
Gozukuchikyan, 42, who moved to America when he was 5, has been painting since middle school and remembers drawing in Armenia, his home country. He has been a fan of the Lakers since 1992.
After the Lakers acquired Doncic, the artist was “itching” to feature the five-time NBA All-Star in a mural. He painted one of Los Angeles’ earliest murals of Kobe and Gianna after they died in 2020.
Carrera Cafe reached out about a potential mural, and Gozukuchikyan liked the space. He considered three images but let the wall’s dimensions dictate his choice.
“A lot of times, the wall picks the images itself,” he said, noting the neighborhood’s surroundings also play a role.
In the original teaser, Doncic and Bryant appeared on a white background. Initially, Gozukuchikyan planned a Lakers-themed design with neutrals, but the final mural features a multicolored backdrop, echoing the sunset from the original post.
“I wanted to draw the crowd, the blue from the sky. And since the [Paul Smith] pink wall is across the street, I wanted to pull that pink in there too,” he said. “So in a way just Lakers colors with the surrounding colors I see around me.”
Bryant’s attire in the mural also incorporates Lakers colors, differing from the original image. During the game, he wore an orange WNBA hoodie with a midnight green Philadelphia Eagles beanie.
Gozukuchikyan made Bryant’s hoodie purple and his beanie gold, aligning with the Lakers’ iconic color palette.
“I had to give the L.A. colors,” he said.
Gozukuchikyan couldn’t pinpoint how many colors or spray cans of paint he used for the piece, but approximated over 100 of the latter. He said the mural was “99.5 percent” spray can with brushes utilized for the minor areas.
People drove from up to 50 miles to see his latest creation. One person teared up seeing Doncic alongside Bryant.
“I think Kobe brings more [of] the emotion part, but I don’t know,” Gozukuchikyan said. “Luka is very loved.”
Typically, his work goes viral after it is completed — similar to his mural honoring the Bryants. This time, the tide flipped. Gozukuchikyan explained that mural artists prefer to work quickly when their piece goes viral, as they don’t see it as finished yet.
However, he appreciated the people showing love.
While working on the mural, Gozukuchikyan estimated that he talked to people who approached him about his art “80 percent of the time.” Occasionally, the attention was so constant, he said, that he could barely find time to paint.
The piece is located in front of the Paul Smith pink wall, a tourist attraction in Los Angeles that possibly contributed to the crowd of onlookers.
Doncic shared a post of Gozukuchikyan’s mural on his Instagram story last Monday.
Gozukuchikyan hopes the piece can make the 25-year-old star feel welcomed enough to play at his best, while marking his transition as potentially the next Lakers great.
“Everybody that’s walking by is kind of on the same page as me,” Gozukuchikyan said while finishing the mural. “I kind of fell off with the Lakers these last few years, but now, Luka’s going to make it fun to watch again.”
