Not even a month before Kobe Bryant and his teenage daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA on Sunday, the basketball icon filed to trademark the name “Mambacita” — a nickname for his 13-year-old who aspired to be a WNBA player.
Gianna’s “Mambacita” moniker is a play on Kobe’s famous nickname on the court, “Black Mamba.”
Entertainment Tonight revealed that the trademark was filed last month, December 30. Its intended use was for athletic wear from sweatshirts, sweatpants to jerseys and hats.
Before their tragic deaths, Kobe has proudly spoken about Gianna’s ambition to continue his legacy on the court.
“The best thing that happens is when I go out and fans’ come up to me and say, ‘You gotta have a boy, you and V [Vanessa Bryant]…you gotta have somebody to carry on your tradition and legacy, and [Gianna’s] like, ‘Oi! I got this,'” he shared when last appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Kobe, Gianna and the seven others that died in the incident were headed to the Mamba Sports Academy from the John Wayne Airport. The Lakers legend serves as the coach of Gianna’s basketball team. Back in 2018, he spoke about his experience as a coach saying, “It’s been fun!”
He added, “We’ve been working together for a year and a half and they’ve improved tremendously in that time. I’ve got a group of great parents, a group of really, really intelligent, hardworking girls, and — they’re all seventh graders, they’re all 12 years old — but they’ve been playing so well!”
Shera Elliott graduated from the New Mexico State University with a major in biology and a minor in Biological Basis of Behavior & Health Care Management. Shera grew up in Los Angeles, but moved to Las Cruces for college. Shera has written for several major publications including the Albuquerque Journal and NPR. Shera is a community reporter and also covers stories important important to all Americans.