“The length, the snake, the bite, the strike, the temperament”: Kobe Bryant reveals the story behind his nickname Black Mamba

When the late Kobe Bryant spoke about developing the alter ego Black Mamba as he dealt with adversities off the court.

Whether it’s the nickname Black Mamba or the Mamba Mentality, they are synonymous with Kobe Bryant. However, very few know the real story behind this phenomenon. The Lakers legend went through turmoil during the 2003-04 season, leading to him adding a new facet to his personality.

The Black Mamba is a nickname Kobe coined for himself to take care of business on the hardwood while he dealt with a catastrophic situation in his personal life. In 2003 the Lakers superstar was charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in Colorado.

Though the five-time champion never addressed the issue directly, he revealed some intricate details in his auto-documentary Muse.

“I went from a person, who was at the top of his game, had everything coming, to a year later, having absolutely no idea where life is going or if you are even going to be a part of life as we all know it,” said Kobe.

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With too much happening, the eighteen-time All-Star’s personal life began to overlap with his professional life. Kobe was obligated to make court appearances, leading to him missing games and a haphazard schedule. Amid the confusion was the stemming of an alter ego called the Black Mamba.

“I had to separate myself”: Kobe Bryant reveals the story behind his nickname Black Mamba.

At the prime of his career, Kobe found himself in a highly publicized scandal off-court during the 2003-04 season. It was the lowest phase of his career, with his family almost coming apart. With so much happening around, the Lakers guard decided to keep the “Kobe” to his personal life and be the “Black Mamba” on the hardwood.

“I had to separate myself,” Kobe explains. “It felt like there were so many things coming at once. It was just becoming very, very confusing. I had to organize things. So I created The Black Mamba.”

Via: Insider

In a story covered by Kent Babb for The Washington Post in 2018, Kobe spoke more candidly about how he stumbled upon the nickname Black Mamba. The Lakers MVP was watching Quentin Tarantino’s movie, “Kill Bill,” during which an assassin used a black mamba to kill another character.

Battling a legal matter on the side, Kobe and the Lakers would yet manage to make it to the 2004 Finals but lost to the Detroit Pistons. The following season would see Shaquille O’Neal depart, with the Mamba having to hit the drawing board again.

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