Dana Point residents have been curious about a mural of the late Kobe Bryant, decorating the wall of OC Beads, on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Golden Lantern Road.

The art depicts Kobe in a pose similar to the Michael Jordan Jumpman logo, featuring a slight transparent reflection of Jordan, as well as a young Gianna Bryant pointing at her father.

It is one of 347 murals in Southern California that feature the late basketball player, according to KobeMural.

Since its inception, this particular work of street art has been an enigma to many in Dana Point.

In a post about the mural on the Dana Point Unplugged Facebook group, people wondered if the piece was funded or approved by the city, which led to a response from Councilmember Mike Frost.

“Murals in Dana Point on private property do not require a permit,” Frost said on Facebook. “Considering it is not advertising, it doesn’t fit in our sign ordinance process. As long as the artwork is not offensive, it is fine.”

As people raised questions about the mural on social media, how it got there, however, was the story of one man’s personal journey of redemption.

“I did it for my love of Kobe, I did it for the Laker fans, and I did it for my healing,” said Hung Tran, artist behind the mural, who goes by the moniker “Hunksy.”

This was not his first exhibition of street art, as he put up a similar mural on Feb. 1, 2020, on the wall of then Landmark Surf Shop, now European Optical, in Laguna Beach.

As that mural garnered attention, Tran stumbled along the way.

On November 29, 2020, he went to jail for the possession of class A substances. He was on the way to a Christmas party when he was stopped and searched. He said authorities found about five grams of cocaine in his possession.

In jail, the first thing he asked for was a Bible, and he prayed every day while there. He said the experience rekindled his relationship with God.

“I’m sitting in jail thinking how did my life come to this?” said Tran. “Looking back, that was part of God’s plan for me. He mentally prepared me for all this.”

He spent almost two months in jail, which emotionally lingered for years, damaging his self-esteem.

Since then, he has been sober for three years, completed a 12-step program and attended drug court.

Tran was released on Jan. 26, 2021, which was the one-year anniversary of Kobe’s passing.

To some, his release date could be touted as a coincidence, but Tran saw it as a sign.

He drove down Pacific Coast Highway looking for his next canvas, which came in the form of the store OC Beads.

Tran said when he entered the store, owner Sue Osborne recognized him, because she lives in Laguna Beach and loves the Kobe mural on European Optical.

This gave him the segue to ask Osborne about putting a Kobe mural outside her own store. After some time and agreeing on what it would entail, she gave Tran permission to do the piece.

“It’s not about the Lakers; it’s all about Kobe,” said Osborne.

Although she does not watch basketball, Osborne was a big fan of Kobe. She admires what he did as a father, philanthropist and as an overall person.

With permission from Osborne, Tran proposed his mural to the now disbanded Dana Point Arts & Culture Commission, as he was looking for funding.

His attempt was unsuccessful and because the location required that he block off a sidewalk, Tran said he also needed a permit to conduct the art process.

Tran found difficulty obtaining the permit, so he delayed the project.

In the meantime, he participated in creating a surf mural on the corner of Doheny Park Road and Las Vegas Boulevard that showcased surf legends and Dana Point landmarks. It was unveiled on Feb. 24, 2022.

“I wanted to do this mural, because I grew up surfing,” Tran said. “I wanted to do something that was timeless and classic.”

A mural of the late Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna Bryant adorns the wall of OC Beads on Pacific Coast Highway and Golden Lantern Road. Photo: Kevin Caparoso

Tran grew up in Orange County and surfed at Salt Creek Beach. He initially lived in Santa Ana, but because of his mother’s work in real estate, they moved around and eventually landed in Laguna Niguel.

His family came to the United States as Vietnam refugees. They fled the country on April 10, 1975, during the fall of Saigon. Tran was 2 years old.

He attributes his immigrant upbringing to his parents’ outlook on his art. Tran never felt supported by his father when it came to his art and career.

“Being a child, being told you’re not good enough,” said Tran. “You’re never going to be an artist, you’re going to be an engineer.”

Throughout life, Tran has felt a bountiful amount of doubt. But the time came he was tired of wanting. He was set on doing the Kobe mural on OC Beads and decided to “just do it.”

Tran looked for any help he could get since he had to fund the project himself. The only person who offered to help him was a man he referred to as his “Banksy.”

The morning of Jan. 6, the two met for breakfast at StillWater Spirits & Sounds, a restaurant just across the street from OC Beads.

“Nothing prepares you for a public spectacle,” said Tran.

Tran said his partner “Banksy” admitted the dangers of their situation – the sidewalk was narrow, and cars constantly drove by.

“We’re doing this in broad daylight, people are driving by honking their horns, hands out the window, taking photos,” said Tran.

For five hours, the two assembled the piece together. Armed with a ladder, adrenaline and Tran’s faith in God, he said they finished the mural around 7:30 p.m.

“I was on a mission from God,” he said. “That’s how I felt the whole time; this was a mission from God.”

Tran said they put the mural up piece-by-piece, which they stored in a gallery next to StillWater Spirits & Sounds.

He said the gallery space was given to him by Damian Collins, owner of the restaurant and other local businesses.

He said he has known Collins for the better part of his life; Tran is three years older than he, went to school with his sister and considers him a childhood friend.

So when Tran ran into Collins last November, Collins pitched him to do a pop-up art gallery next to StillWater Spirits & Sounds.

Tran praised Collins for always believing in him and said the two are working on bringing more art to the community.

“The world needs more creative people in it,” said Tran. “That’s what the world needs, it needs dreamers and artists who make things that last forever.”