Kobe Bryant is said to have trademarked his daughter's nickname less than a month before they were killed in a tragic helicopter crash.
The NBA legend, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, affectionately known as GiGi, were killed alongside seven other people when his helicopter went down in Calabasas.
GiGi was a skilled basketball player herself and hoped to follow in the footsteps of her dad.
Kobe had seen a big future ahead of his little girl, and less than a month ago, filed paperwork to trademark her very own hoops nickname, Mambacita, reports TMZ.
Her nickname would have been a tip to her dad's, The Black Mamba, as well as her own growing prowess on the court.
According to the documents obtained by the US site, the plan was to put Mambacita on sportswear, shirts, hats, hoodies, and all sorts of products.
Kobe had filed the paperwork on December 30.
The ex-LA Lakers player had already started referring to his daughter by that nickname on his own social media.
In November, Kobe had shared a video of his daughter on the court, praising her offense work as well as the defence play of her teammate Alyssa Altobelli.
Tragically, Alyssa and her parents, Kerri and John Altobelli, were also on board the helicopter when it went down on Sunday and lost their lives.
The girls had played together at Kobe's Mamba Academy, where they were both star players.
Kobe shared four daughters with his devoted wife Vanessa.
As well as GiGi, they shared Natalia, 17, Bianka, three, and Capri, born just seven months ago.
Also killed in the tragic crash were pilot Ara Zobayan, Mamba Sports Academy basketball coach Christine Mauser, and mother and daughter Sarah and Payton Chester.
The FBI will now open an investigation into the crash.
According to the LA Times, aviation officials said a twin engine failure is likely to be the cause of the horrific crash.
A host of celebrities have paid tribute to Kobe and his daughter, including the Kardashian family, footballer David Beckham, and actor Kevin Hart.
The community in Los Angeles has been left heartbroken by the awful events.
