Throughout his 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant has had numerous nicknames, but none have stuck like ‘The Black Mamba.' With numerous players also adopting their own versions of Bryant's nickname, the five-time champion revealed the meaning behind it.
On The Hollywood Reporter's Award Chatter podcast, Bryant wanted to create a different persona for himself during a difficult time according to Scott Feinberg:
“I felt the need to separate myself, in a sense. There was a lot of things going on personally with the situation going on in Colorado, and flying back and forth for games, and trying to hold my family together, as well. It just felt like the game, which was always like a safe haven for me, was being compromised, as well. I needed to create some sort of an alter ego, just for myself, so when I step out on the court I'm somebody different, not the person that was sitting in a courthouse. I'm somebody different. And it helped me for my sanity. And then it just turned into something more.”
For many basketball fans, this is new information and an interesting explanation of the nickname. It is well-documented what happened in Colorado and Bryant was ultimately able to save his family and basketball career.
As Bryant is focused on storytelling in the next chapter of his life, his experiences can serve as examples for future generations.
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