Tacky tribute? Fans slam 'shameful' $170K Lamborghini dedicated to late NBA star Kobe Bryant

A Lamborghini decorated in the purple and gold of the LA Lakers has been made available to purchase by a private seller after the tragic death of Kobe Bryant and his teenage daughter, but some fans have reacted with anger.

Basketball legend Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among nine people who perished in a helicopter accident in California last month, with the death of the Lakers icon sending a shockwave of grief through the sports landscape in the United States and beyond. 

Such was Bryant's status in the sport that his loss at the age of just 41 appears to be a tragedy of almost incalculable proportions. Both Bryant and 13-year-old daughter Gianna have been memorialized in swathes of tributes and messages since their deaths were announced, leading to a predictably huge upturn in memorabilia featuring the former Lakers star's image - and one such item is a little more hi-octane than the others.

Supercar afficionado Joe Carbona opted for something different when he decided he wanted to pay tribute to Bryant's legacy, bringing his 2015 Lamborghini Huracan to a Chicago garage where he requested it be emblazoned with images of Bryant and Gianna and painted in the team's iconic purple and gold colors.

Steve Zielinski, owner of X-Treme Graphics, said that the magnitude of the situation meant that he and his team were extra-careful when handling the Lamborghini.

"I had to make sure it was good and not overdone. And, we didn't charge for it," he said, TMZ reported. 

The car features Bryant's shirt number of 24 on both doors, along with a yellow racing stripe down the middle which intersects the rich purple which dominates it.

Carbonara says that the car is available for any Kobe fan to purchase, but beware: it will set you back a cool $170,000.

But while some fans have praised the supercar tribute, others have slammed it as a "shameful" attempt at publicity from those behind the sale. 

A memorial for Bryant and his daughter is planned for Monday February 24 at the Staples Center in LA, where fans will have a last chance to pay their respects to the basketball icon. 

Prices for Bryant memorabilia of all types have soared in the wake of his tragic death, with warnings for buyers to be on the lookout for fake merchandise as scammers look to cash in on his untimely death.