Where did Kobe Bryant’s “Black Mamba” nickname originate?
The legend of Kobe Bryant lives on. Back in 2003 he was one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet and arguably the best player the NBA had seen in a generation. We reflect on the origin of his famous nickname... Kobe Bryant: the controversy The Los Angeles Lakers were coming off of the back of a 3 peat and as history would later show, they weren’t done yet. Unfortunately, not all that glitters is gold and in July of that year a highly publicized sexual assault case was brought against Bryant by a 19 year old hotel employee. Bryant had checked into to a hotel in Edwards, Colorado to await surgery at a clinic nearby. His accuser alleged that the assault took place in his room. Bryant would later admit to a sexual encounter but maintained that it was consensual. The case would eventually be dropped as his accuser refused to testify and Bryant himself he would go on to publicly apologize to his accuser, family and the general public after which a private out of court settlemen...