Why did Kobe Bryant choose the nickname Black Mamba?

Kobe Bryant named Black Mamba as his nickname, but for the late LA Lakers superstar, it was more than just a name.

Kobe Bryant’s nickname was “The Black Mamba”, a name he gave himself. But for the Lakers legend, Black Mamba isn’t simply another way he calls himself. It was an identity he created to overcome the darkest time in his career.

According to the documentary “Muse”, Bryant revealed that he created The Black Mamba to cope with the hardships he experienced off the football field in 2003 and 2004.

Kobe once faced accusations of sexual abuse

“In just 1 year, I went from being at the peak of my career, with everything in my hands, to completely not knowing where life was going, or if it even existed. is part of this society or not anymore,” Bryant shared in the documentary.

The Black Mamba spirit brought Kobe Bryant to the status of a legend

In 2003, Kobe was accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old girl in Colorado. While the LA Lakers star didn’t directly address the incident, he spent a lot of time in the documentary talking about how his family was about to fall apart.

“I heard everything the audience said. I heard it very clearly.” Bryant recounted after watching a clip of Boston Celtics fans chanting “Kobe sucks!” (Bad Kobe!) “Basketball was my refuge and now it’s being verbally bombed by so many people”

“I had to separate myself,” Kobe explained. “It felt like there were so many things coming at once. It’s all getting confusing. I have to rearrange everything. So I created The Black Mamba”.

Bryant went on to explain that “Kobe” will deal with any “personal challenges” in life, while “The Black Mamba” will deal with anything that happens on the basketball court.

“I want to destroy all opponents who step on the football field. Anger rises and I need a place to vent it all. Black Mamba is like an avalanche. I will sweep away all obstacles in my path.” Go and nothing can stop me.”

The scene inspired Kobe Bryant to be nicknamed The Black Mamba

In an article by author Kent Babb on the Washington Post in 2018, Bryant explained that he took the name Black Mamba from the movie Kill Bill by famous director Quentin Taratino. There, the assassin character uses a black mamba snake to kill the character Budd.

“Length, snake, bite, attack, temperament,” Kobe described, not forgetting the detail that snakes can also shed their skin. “I had to look it up. I googled it, and realized it was me.”