The Kobe Bryant Farewell Tour continues apace, as everyone is heaping tributes on the retiring star. He’s getting loud ovations from opposing crowds, and he even got a brief audience with Barack Obama. And now, the Atlanta Zoo (which is apparently called Zoo Atlanta) is doing their part to honor Bryant — by naming their Black Mamba snake Kobe, as a nod to the man’s self-assigned nickname (Seriously, we don’t give him enough credit for making a self-assigned nickname stick).
Confusingly, the promotion is in concert with the Atlanta Hawks, whose involvement beyond jumping on the press release is unclear. But here’s an excerpt from that press release to explain Zoo Atlanta’s reasoning:
“Zoo Atlanta is thrilled to be part of this very special tribute. Mr. Bryant is a legend on the court, and the black mamba is a legend in the wild,” said Raymond B. King, President and CEO of Zoo Atlanta. “We’re proud to partner with our home team, the Atlanta Hawks, on recognizing Mr. Bryant’s contributions to sports with the naming of this animal, and we hope everyone will visit Scaly Slimy Spectacular, our newest destination at Zoo Atlanta, to see the new namesake in person.”
It hasn’t even been a full week, but Kobe’s retirement is already a branding tool. What a time to be alive.
