It has been almost a month since Kobe Bryant played his final NBA game for the Los Angeles Lakers and although he could’ve used some much-needed time off after 20 years of service, the future Hall of Famer has been busy running his company Kobe Inc.
According to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, Kobe Inc. has filed to trademark Bryant’s synonymous nickname, Black Mamba:
Kobe Inc., the business arm of recently retired Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, has filed to trademark his familiar nickname “Black Mamba.”
The company filed for the trademark May 2, a record with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office shows, with intent to use the nickname on everything from athletic apparel to sneakers.
After watching Quentin Tarantino’s classic, “Kill Bill,” Bryant took a shine to the nickname made famous by the lead character played by Uma Thurman. The Black Mamba nickname and the logo used in the movie became part of Bryant’s persona with the NBA superstar calling himself the Black Mamba as he entered the post-Shaquille O’Neal chapter of his basketball career with the Lakers.
Bryant’s attempt to trademark “Black Mamba” is one of many others Kobe Inc. is looking to use moving forward, via Rovell:
Black Mamba is the 11th trademark filing for Kobe Inc. Other phrases that the company has filed for include “HeroVillain,” “Create Forever,” “Dream Epic” and “Friends Hang Sometimes, Banners Hang Forever.”
With Bryant settling into his post-basketball career, there’s bound to be many more headlines made by the five-time NBA champion in the coming years. Bryant is determined to be as successful in his next endeavor with Kobe Inc. as he was during his two decades wearing the purple and gold and he hasn’t wasted any time making the transition.