Wednesday 13 May 2020 06:58, UK
A sports academy in Southern California previously co-owned by the late Kobe Bryant has retired his Mamba nickname and undergone a re-brand.
Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other people were killed on January 26 as they flew to a basketball tournament at the Mamba Sports Academy.
The Thousand Oaks-based facility, which was founded in 2016, said it would return to its original name of Sports Academy.
Bryant, who spent 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and helped the franchise win five NBA championships, joined the Academy in 2018.
The facility is under consideration as a home base for an NBA minor league program that will provide one year of preparation, on and off the court, for some elite players who chose not to attend college but are not yet eligible for the NBA draft.
Bryant is the only NBA player to have his team retire two numbers in his honour, and last month was posthumously selected for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
A ceremony is scheduled for late August, though it may be delayed until at least October because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bryant's production company Granity Studios has also remained active since his death. The latest children's book released by Bryant's company last month 'The Wizenard Series: Season One' became his fifth book to reach No. 1 on The New York Times best-seller lists.
The helicopter crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
