The campers gathered around Kobe Bryant, hoping to get a high-five or hear words of encouragement for a job well done. Bryant, running the Kobe Basketball Academy this in July at UC Santa Barbara, did all that, but there was one camper he singled out.
"Little man," Bryant said to one camper after shaking his hand and rubbing his head. "Little Mamba." The excited camper then went to the videographer to share the news: "Kobe called me Little Mamba!" That video is below.
It turns out the praise is for good reason. The kid can ball, as indicated in another video (soundtrack contains a lyric that's not family-friendly), which has been making the rounds in various Laker forums (I credit business reporter Nathan Olivarez-Giles for the assist in finding this). "Little Mamba," or "Maseo," as he's called in the video, shows an uncanny ability to beat his man off the dribble with a quick crossover and efficient footwork. If the dude is really 8 years old like the video indicates, I'd say he's got a bright future ahead.
--Mark Medina
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