Kobe Bryant will go down as one of the greatest NBA players of all-time.
But the lasting legacy he leaves behind doesn't just stem from the countless memories he gave us throughout his decorated 20-year basketball career.
No, Kobe well and truly transcended the sport.
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A savage on the court.
And a true gentleman off it.
And the latest statistic, which is completely unrelated to basketball, proves just how much he is worshipped and loved by fans from around the globe.
According to the highly-popular dog-walking site Rover.com, there has been a massive spike in pet names linked to the Los Angeles Lakers legend.
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The report claims the name "Kobe" is one of the "names of the year" and is up in popularity by 44% from 2019.
On top of that, it's understood the name "Black Mamba" is up by 58% and "Mamba" is up by 111% - the biggest spike out of all the other pet names.
It's a fitting tribute to the great man himself.
And it appears Kobe wasn't the only Bryant to have his name or nickname grow among animal-lovers.
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According to the figures from Rover.com, the name "Gianna" is up 20% from 2019.
13-year-old Gianna sadly passed away alongside her father during the helicopter crash on 26 January 2020.
There were plenty of other high-profile sports figures whose names were popular among pet owners.
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The reports says: "Football legend Pele (up 245%) tops the list of the most trending athlete-inspired dog names of 2020, followed by Drogba (up 44%) and the American professional boxer Tyson (up 36%)."
Interestingly, the name "LeBron" was up among dog owners, while "Michael Jordan" showed the biggest spike among cat lovers.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Basketball, Pets, NBA, Los Angeles Lakers, Dogs, Australia