Who is Nikko Hurtado? Artist inks Vanessa Bryant, Natalia in memory of Kobe Bryant, Gigi

This week, Vanessa Bryant shared the new tattoos she got done to honour late NBA legend Kobe Bryant and their 13-year-old daughter Gianna. Both Bryant and Gianna were the victims of a tragic helicopter crash last year, which claimed the lives of nine people. This is the second time Bryant got inked to honour her daughter and husband, this time getting it done from the same tattoo artist – Nikko Hurtado. 

New Vanessa Bryant tattoo: Who is Nikko Hurtado? 

Boasting around 1.7 million followers on Instagram, Nikko Hurtado is a popular American tattoo artist. Born in San Fernando Valley, California, he started tattooing in 2002. His shop – Black Anchor Collective – was opened in 2010. In 2017, he opened a new Black Anchor branch in Los Angeles, California. Featured in LA Ink and Ink Master, he specialises in coloured portraiture. 

In the videos Vanessa Bryant uploaded, she spoke about how the simple design for her tattoo took eight hours to finalise. However, she called Hurtado a "perfectionist", who took minutes to complete the tattoo once he started. 

Natalia Bryant tattoo

Vanessa's oldest 18-year-old daughter Natalia also received her fourth tattoo. She had the word "muse" drawn on her finger. Natalia recently tried her hand at modelling, sharing multiple photos from the photoshoot. Vanessa herself hyped up her daughter, saying how proud she is of her. 

Last June (when her account was private), Vanessa got tattoos to honour her loved ones. Hurtado, who also made Vanessa's older tattoo, stated that he was honoured to give something she could keep with her. "I wanted my boo boo's @kobebryant sweet message transferred on me," she wrote in a caption back then. 

"@nikkohurtado came through for me," Vanessa added, something which the tattoo artist had reposted. 

This time, she got the worth "Mambacita" tattooed. Mambacita is Gigi's nickname, related to Bryant being called the Black Mamba. Like her father, Gigi wanted to pursue a basketball career, hopefully playing in the WNBA. 

Vanessa Bryant net worth

As per reports, Vanessa Bryant is the sole successor of Bryant's billion-dollar empire. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Vanessa Bryant's net worth is $600 million – a number which was calculated after Kobe Bryant's death. Recent reports state that she has also inherited Bryant's BodyArmor shares which are now worth a reported $200 million. The fortune also includes Bryant's properties and investments. 

(Disclaimer: The above net worth information is sourced from various websites and media reports. This website does not guarantee 100% accuracy of the figures)

(Image credits: Vanessa Bryant IG)