The Southern California 'Sports Academy', which was co-owned by the late Kobe Bryant, has retired the NBA legend’s “Mamba” nickname and rebranded itself as 'Sports Academy' almost four months after the Basketball icon passed away in a tragic helicopter crash. The academy announced that it would retain its original name but will retire the “Mamba” nickname it had attained after Kobe joined the academy as a co-owner in 2018. Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash along the Calabasas hills in California on January 26, 2020, while they were flying to watch a basketball tournament at the Mamba Sports Academy. Nick Kyrgios Pays Tribute to Kobe Bryant, Inks Tattoo of Late Basketball Legend, LeBron James and Michael Jordan on His Sleeve (Watch Video).

A basketball tournament was being held at the academy when news of Bryant’s tragic death broke out. Bryant, his daughter Gianna, Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and their daughter Alyssa; Christina Mauser, who was coach of the girls’ basketball team Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton were also in the helicopter and died after the crash. Alyssa and Payton were Gianna’s teammates at the Mamba Academy.  Vanessa Bryant Pays Touching Tribute to Late Husband Kobe on 19th Wedding Anniversary.

The Thousand Oaks-based facility in California was founded in 2016, the same year Bryant retired from the NBA after a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers (LA Lakers) having guided the team to five NBA Championships. Bryant later joined the academy in 2018 and was mentoring and coaching the girls’ team at the academy of which his daughter Gianna was also a part.

Meanwhile, the helicopter crash, which killed Kobe, remains under investigation by the National Safety Transportation Board after Kobe’s wife Vanessa sued the company from which the helicopter was obtained. Vanessa also sent notice to pilot Ara Zobayan’s estate blaming him of failing to “ordinary care in piloting the subject aircraft” and of negligence. Zobayan passed away in the helicopter crash.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 13, 2020 11:58 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).