RJ Barrett has abandoned his nickname out of respect for Kobe Bryant.
According to Knicks PR, Barrett no longer wants to be called "The Maple Mamba," a moniker that referenced his Canadian roots and Kobe-like confidence on the court. He earned the nickname at Duke and had it embroidered in his suit jacket on draft night.
But with the real Mamba deceased after a tragic helicopter accident Sunday, Barrett doesn't feel comfortable using Bryant's nickname.
"I don't want to get called that anymore. Somebody great like that, to lose him in that way, is really sad," Barrett told reporters. "Even to this day you just think about it and it keeps replaying in my mind. It's tough."
Barrett missed his sixth consecutive game Tuesday because of a high ankle sprain, as the Knicks fell to the Hornets in Charlotte, 97-92. It was the Knicks' 11th defeat in their last 14 games and dropped them to 13-35 on the season. Once again, the result felt inconsequential because the night was about Bryant, who was honored in Charlotte prior to tip-off with a video tribute and a moment of silence.
Before the game, Knicks forward Julius Randle, who was Bryant's former teammate with the Lakers, explained that he hasn't processed his idol's death.
"Honestly, everything I did was because of him. He really set the bar for me. It's been a tough go, for sure," Randle told reporters before scoring a team-high 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting against the Hornets. "I don't know when I'll be able to come to peace with it. Right now I'm not. It's still not really reality for me. It's not about me, man. It's about those families. I feel bad for those families. That's really what it is for me."
