Kobe Bryant Filed Trademark for Daughter Gianna's Nickname 'Mambacita' a Month Before Their Deaths
Kobe Bryant was planning for his daughter Gianna’s future nearly one month before their tragic deaths.
PEOPLE confirms the late NBA icon filed to trademark “Mambacita” with the intent to print his 13-year-old child’s nickname on athletic clothing such as hats, jerseys, shirts, shorts and sweatpants.
Gianna’s “Mambacita” moniker was a twist on her father’s alter ego “The Black Mamba,” which he created when he started a new chapter by switching his jersey number from 8 to 24 during the 2006 to 2007 season.
The trademark was filed on Dec. 30, 2019, by Kobe Inc., which is the company Bryant started in 2014, shortly after he was sidelined by his Achilles injury.
According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Bryant’s request is still pending.
RELATED: Kobe Bryant’s Daughter Gianna, 13, Dead Alongside Father in Calabasas Helicopter Crash
News of Bryant’s trademark comes one day after he and his second oldest daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday morning in Calabasas, California. He was 41.
According to ESPN, the father-daughter pair were on their way to a youth basketball game with Gianna and seven others, including the pilot, when the helicopter crashed.
The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed the aircraft involved in the fatal crash, which is still under investigation, was a Sikorsky S-76.
Other victims involved in the crash have been identified to be Gianna’s teammates and their parents.
John Altobelli, the head baseball coach at Orange Coast College, was flying on the aircraft — alongside his wife Keri Altobelli and their daughter, Alyssa Altobelli, the school confirmed in a statement on their website. Bryant previously praised Alyssa’s basketball talents on Instagram, including sharing a video of her and Gianna in November 2019. “This is GREAT defense by our mamba pg Alyssa Altobelli and a familiar looking fade by our 2gd the #Mambacita,” wrote the father of four, who served as their coach.
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In addition, Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton Chester of Orange County were in the aircraft, according to The New York Times. St. Margaret���s Episcopal School confirmed the news in a memo obtained by PEOPLE, in which the school said Payton was enrolled in the eighth grade and mom Sarah, who is survived by her husband Chris and 10th-grade sons Hayden and Riley, was on its board of trustees.
Also on board was girls basketball coach Christina Mauser, of Harbor Day School in Orange County. Her husband Matt Mauser confirmed the news on Facebook, writing: “My kids and I are devastated. We lost our beautiful wife and mom today in a helicopter crash. Please respect our privacy. Thank you for all the well wishes they mean so much.”
