Kobe Bryant And The 20 Best Names In Sports

Each night, the Black Mamba slithers onto the court, does things most basketball players dream of, and gets more SportsCenter highlights than 99.99999999999% of people will get in their lifetime.

Rarely, however, does his one downfall get the spotlight:

He's named after meat.

Kobe Bryant got his name when his food-related father Joe "Jelly Bean" Bryant and mom Pamela Bryant saw Kobe beef on a restaurant menu. While "Kobe" has become part of the NBA lexicon, one must realize it's only there because sushi didn't sound great to the Bryants on that evening.

Well, at least he's not Yakitori Bryant. "Yaki" is way too close to "Yucky."

That being said, could Bryant actually have one of the funniest names in sports? Will his play be overshadowed by the fact that he's actually a delicacy across Tokyo?

The answer to the latter is a resounding "no."

The former, however, must be explored.

Follow me on Twitter and read more at L.A. Sports Examiner.

Begin Slideshow

...

About the Author