Kobe Bryant's Legacy Lives On With Metaverse Push, New Products

When legendary NBA player Kobe Bryant passed away in 2020 at the age of 41 he left a lasting legacy on and off the court. This legacy continues with several product launches and new plans to bring his brands to the metaverse.

What Happened: The Kobe Bryant estate led by Vanessa Bryant has filed new trademarks for the Mamba and Mambacita brands in the metaverse, according to trademark attorney Josh Gerben of Gerben Law. The trademarks are nods to both Kobe and his late daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant.

The trademarks are for “Kobe Bryant,” “Mamba Forever” and “Mambacita” in relation to digital goods and services for the metaverse, apparel, art and collectibles and non-fungible tokens. The trademarks were filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Jan. 28, according to the report.

The filing mentions virtual experiences in the metaverse such as virtual goods, multimedia files and virtual basketball courts.

Kobe Bryant LLC filed several trademarks in November 2021 for items such as wine and spirits.

Related Link: Mamba Mentality: 7 Kobe Bryant Quotes Every CEO Can Relate To 

Why It’s Important: The trademarks filed by the Kobe Bryant estate are the latest push to expand the Mamba and Mambacita product lines.

The moves signal a push to create a brand around Kobe Bryant in a new direction after an existing deal with Nike Inc NKE ended.

Speculation was that the Kobe Bryant estate was frustrated with Nike over the limited availability of Mamba-themed products after Bryant’s retirement and death. A lack of kids’ sizes was also cited as a factor in the decision to let the Nike contract end without renewal, according to sources.

“My hope will always be to allow Kobe’s fans to get and wear his products,” Vanessa Bryant said.

The filings suggest that instead of re-signing with Nike or going with a different apparel company like Under Armour Inc UA, the Mamba brand could stand on its own.

The push into the metaverse and NFTs could quickly bring increased brand awareness to the Mamba and Mambacita brands given the growth and interest in those two areas.

Another company pushing the Mamba brand is BodyArmor, which is owned by Coca-Cola Co KO. The company launched the Mamba Forever strawberry grape-flavored drink in partnership with the Kobe Bryant estate. A portion of proceeds from the drink goes to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation to help youth sports across the nation.

Bryant was an investor in BodyArmor in 2014. An investment of $6 million for 10% of BodyArmor was worth around $800 million when Coca-Cola purchased the remainder of the sports drink company in 2021.

Photo: Joey Zanotti via Flickr