Mamba Sports Academy Retires ‘Mamba’ Out of Respect to Kobe Bryant

Due to the death of Kobe Bryant earlier this year, the Mamba Sports Academy has retired “Mamba” out of respect to the Hall of Fame basketball player.

Sports Academy, which was founded in 2016 by Chad Faulkner, had a simple but crucial mission of elevating human performance. In 2018, the program partnered with Kobe Inc. to become Mamba Sports Academy. 

In a press release, the academy stated:

“Like tens of millions of fans around the globe, Sports Academy’s world drastically changed on January 26, 2020. Today, with respect for an unparalleled legacy, the Academy will retire the “Mamba” in the Mamba Sports Academy name—to raise it to the rafters, where it belongs. In doing so, Sports Academy will carry on the vision it curated during that special partnership.

“The changing of the name from Mamba Sports Academy to Sports Academy, the original name from 2016, is not a decision we came to lightly or on our own. It was a mutual agreement made in accordance with the wishes of his estate. Thank you for respecting that decision in these turbulent times.

“Sports Academy’s mission remains unchanged. Sports Academy is still here to transform the way each of us approach human performance. Sports Academy is still here to support current professionals and guide the next generation of athletes. Sports Academy is still here to provide an integrated and full-circle approach to training.”

Located in Thousand Oaks, CA, the 100,000-square-foot multi-sports training center features five basketball courts and a technologically advanced recovery department.

It was recently reported that the NBA’s G League is considering the possibility of utilizing the academy to house its newly formed “Select Team.” The league is considering the facility as its home base for the 2020-21 season.