Atlanta Zoo Renames Black Mamba After Lakers Superstar
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Kobe Bryant's "Black Mamba" nickname will live on long past his retirement at the end of this season.
Teams, players, and celebrities across the nation have offered their tribute to the 20-year veteran after he announced his retirement earlier this week.
However, few have come close to the tribute the Atlanta Zoo gave Bryant on Thursday.
The Zoo announced that it would be renaming it's Black Mamba currently housed in the facility to "Kobe" after the Lakers superstar.
Bryant will be playing his final game in Atlanta on Friday.
The Atlanta Hawks also announced they would be making a donation in honor of the impact Bryant has made across the NBA.
"Mr. Bryant is a legend on the court, and the black mamba is a legend in the wild," Zoo Atlanta president and CEO Raymond B. King said in the statement.