20 Amazing Kobe Bryant Facts You Should Know

Why He Nicknamed Himself “ Black Mamba”

Black mambas are deadly poisonous snakes found in Africa. They reach lengths of up to 14 feet, and are one of the fastest snakes in the world. Kobe Bryant gave himself this nickname after watching Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece “Kill Bill” (with Uma Thurman), where the words “Black Mamba” was used as code for a mission that was deadly.

He adopted this nickname after his off-court problems in 2003 and 2004. Kobe really adapted the attitude of a black mamba as an alter-ego to pull him through his toughest times back then. He needed to separate what was going on in his life and created the persona “Black Mamba” to do this. On the court he had to be deadly, and beat all his opponents. He had to be fast, agile and accurate, just like a black mamba.