Vanessa Bryant kicks off the Year of the Snake with a Kobe Bryant throwback

Vanessa Bryant is sharing a meaningful throwback to kick off the Lunar New Year. In a reel shared on her Instagram stories, Vanessa shared an old clip of her late husband Kobe Bryant, where he wished viewers a happy Year of the Snake and shared some of the positive traits of the animal, which is a creature steeped in mythology and has long been linked with his storied career. 

© Kirby Lee

The video kicks off with Bryant speaking directly to the camera and sharing a happy Lunar Year with his followers in Chinese. "I'm Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers. A snake symbolizes intelligence, health, and luck," he says. 

"I wish you all a happy and healthy year of the snake." 

Throughout his impressive career, Bryant was also known as the Black Mamba, a highly venomous snake found in African wildlife. According to various sources, Bryant was inspired by the film "Kill Bill," where the lead character's code name is the Black Mamba. 

He would go on to use the name on his advertising and personal projects, like the "Mamba Sports Academy," which provided guidance to young athletes. 

More details about the Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year is a group of celebrations lasting for two weeks, including the Chinese New Year, Seollal, Tet, and more. The tradition begins on January 29th and is known for its feasts, customs, and parties. 

This year is the year of the snake, an animal associated with many positive traits in Eastern culture. “It’s shedding the ego, letting go of the past, letting go of anger, letting go of love lost,” said Jonathan H. X. Lee, an Asian and Asian American studies professor at San Francisco State University to NBC News.

“This is the year where that kind of growth — personal and macro, internal and external — is very much possible.” 

The snake matches up with people born in 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 and 2025.

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