A MURAL dedication to Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna was defaced with the word "rapist" in the wake of the tragic helicopter crash that killed them.

The tribute to the late NBA star was scribbled on hours after its unveiling in Austin, Texas this week after Kobe, 41, and his daughter died last Sunday.

A local saw the "Black Mamba" tribute had been written on shortly after it was presented to the public.

Rashad Rivers shared the shocking image on Twitter this morning less than a week after Kobe, Gianna and seven others perished in the Calabasas crash.

"Went pay my respects to Kobe but the mural has already been defaced (?)," Rivers captioned the picture.

The artist behind the mural was aware it had been written on, according to KVUE.

Laced and Found, the mural's creator, told the station "everyone has their own beliefs and opinions on various matters."

"Nonetheless there are ways to go about speaking and voicing personal thoughts," they said.

"This was disrespectful to the Kobe family, the city of Austin, the fans and the artists who put some serious hard work and emotions into the piece."

The artists vowed to "fix" the tribute after someone scrawled the word across it.

Kobe was accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old hotel worker in Colorado back in 2003.

By September 2004, the woman in question decided not to testify against Kobe and settled out of court the following year.

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