Kobe Bryant gave himself ‘BLACK MAMBA’ nickname after sexual assault case in 2003 to cope with his off-court struggles
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Kobe Bryant ( via Sports Illustrated)
In 2003, Kobe Bryant was on top of the world, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to championship after championship. Then the lakers’ star was charged with sexual assault, and everything came crashing down. Bryant declared himself innocent, and the charges against him were eventually withdrawn. Bryant’s reputation was significantly tarnished, Kobe and his accuser struck a civil settlement. To deal with the hostility, he adopted the alias “Black Mamba” as an alter ego.
Bryant said in his autobiography “Muse” that he invented ‘The Black Mamba’ to cope with his off-court struggles in 2003 and 2004. Bryant adopted the nickname to distinguish his life on and off the court, according to a 2014 interview with The New Yorker. It was inspired by the code name for a ruthless assassin in Quentin Tarantino’s 2003 film “Kill Bill.”
What was the allegation?
Kobe Bryant underwent knee surgery in Edwards, Colorado in June 2003, and stayed at the luxurious Lodge and Spa at Cordillera. The 24-year-old Los Angeles Lakers player had already established himself as a global sensation as he has appeared in three NBA championships by 2003, with the Lakers winning back-to-back titles in 2000, 2001, and 2002.
The woman, who was not identified and was 19 at the time, told police Bryant raped her in his room on June 30 after arriving at the hotel near the skiing town of Vail where she worked as a hotel concierge and was also a college student. Bryant was arrested in early July, and while he admitted to having consensual intercourse with her, he denied assaulting her. His first daughter Natalia was born in January 2003, and he was already married to Vanessa. Vanessa was alongside him in his public statement following the alleged assault but did not speak.
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The evolution of BLACK MAMBA.
In a 2015 interview with Ahmad Rashad, Bryant said of the animal that inspired the name, “When I step on that court, I become that. I am that killer snake. I’m stone cold, man.” It would be an understatement to suggest that Project Mamba was a success as Bryant was like a machine built to win, and he carved his name into the history of his team, the Los Angeles Lakers. Five NBA titles, two Olympic gold medals, one of the NBA’s all-time leading scorers, and one of the world’s most recognizable athletes and the sky was the limit with the Mamba mentality.
Kobe Bryant announced his retirement from basketball in 2016, which he had dominated for nearly two decades, with the most iconic mic drop in sports: “Mamba out.” Following his retirement, he founded the Mamba Sports Academy to assist aspiring NBA players as well as youth interested in the sport. Months before his death, the academy sponsored the Mamba Sports Pro Invitational, an invite-only camp where aspiring NBA stars could mingle with the league’s top and hear from Bryant himself. Bryant had previously received an Academy Award for his animated short film Dear Basketball.
Even though the assault charges were dropped, he is remembered for his sporting brilliance and basketball accomplishments but this controversy remains a dark side for Kobe, his family and his supporters. Even after such controversies, Kobe Bryant remains to be one of the most influential and looked after players of the modern generation.
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