The Mamba Sports Academy is retiring the “Mamba” from its name out of respect for the late Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. The name will be officially changed back to “The Sports Academy” on Tuesday, featuring a new website and a logo re-branding, according to CEO Chad Faulkner.

The academy originally launched in 2018 as a joint athletic training business venture with Bryant and Faulkner.

“Our beliefs and thoughts are Kobe is one of one. ‘Mamba' is one of one,” Faulkner told The Undefeated. “And with that as we carry on as the Sports Academy, it's more appropriate to put Kobe in another Hall of Fame, if you will, and to really respect a legacy that is really unrivaled, frankly, and let that live on its own. We will continue to do the work we do.

“We were fortunate to learn from Kobe. We will carry on much of those learnings that we have in a respectful way.”

Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, along with seven others were killed in a helicopter accident when crashing into the hills of Calabasas on Jan. 26.

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A five-time NBA champion and 18-time All-Star, Bryant's jersey Nos. 8 and 24 have been retired by the Lakers organization. He was also posthumously named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in April.

The former NBA MVP hosted a workout and a classroom tutorial for some of the best in the league, including Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Kyrie Irving, Jamal Murray, De'Aaron Fox, Tobias Harris, Isaiah Thomas and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at the Thousand Oaks location of his academy. He also held another for some of the best names in the WNBA on Jan. 13-15, days before his death.

The Sports Academy has locations in Thousand Oaks and Redondo Beach, though now closed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. Faulkner noted he'd be “all for” placing a memorial in Bryant's memory at both locations, though that will depend on the will of Bryant's family.