The trademark, filed on Dec. 30, 2019, included plans to use "Mambacita" on sportswear ranging from hats to jerseys.
Kobe Bryant already had big plans for his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, who had dreams of making it to the WNBA.
ET has learned that less than a month before the two tragically died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Sunday, Kobe filed a "Mambacita" trademark for Gianna. The name is a play on the Los Angeles Lakers star's famous nickname, "Black Mamba."
The trademark, filed on Dec. 30, 2019, included plans to use "Mambacita" on everything from athletic sweatshirts and sweatpants to hats and jerseys.
Kobe often spoke about Gianna's aspirations to follow in his footsteps and become a basketball star in her own right. During his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live last year, the basketball legend joked about fans asking him about having a son to carry on that legacy.
"The best thing that happens is when I go out and fans'll come up to me and say, 'You gotta have a boy, you and V [Vanessa Bryant]…you gotta have somebody to carry on your tradition and legacy, and [Gianna's] like, 'I got this,'" he shared. "That’s right. Yes you do, you got this!"
When ET spoke with Kobe in December 2018, he shared what it was like coaching Gianna's middle school basketball team after retiring from professional basketball with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016.
"It's been fun!" he said at the time. "We've been working together for a year and a half and they've improved tremendously in that time. I've got a group of great parents, a group of really, really intelligent, hardworking girls, and -- they're all seventh graders, they're all 12 years old -- but they've been playing so well!"
"I play 'em up now," he added. "They've been playing eighth and ninth grade, they've been winning tournaments. But the most important thing is they keep improving, keep getting better and they love doing it. They love being around each other."
Kobe is survived by his wife, Vanessa, and their three other children -- Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months.
RELATED CONTENT:
