Black ___, nickname for Kobe Bryant

Latest answer — July 08, 2026

1 Down

This reptile shares a name with a famous basketball legend! 🐍

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, July 08, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Cartographers' concerns
  2. 5Go by
  3. 11Helpful skill for guessers
  4. 14Working obediently
  5. 15Mickey with an Oscar nomination for "The Wrestler"
  6. 16Champiñones ___ plancha (Spanish dish)
  7. 17[C/P]ause
  8. 19Droop
  9. 20Food mentioned in the Lord's Prayer
  10. 21What "Eat" stands for in the mnemonic "Never Eat Soggy Waffles"
  11. 22Buzz before a release
  12. 23Low-quality synthetic images, informally
  13. 25Prepare to drive, in golf
  14. 27[L/C]ure
  15. 32Result of touching poison ivy
  16. 35"The Deer Hunter" setting, in brief
  17. 36Old, as a joke
  18. 37Casual refusal
  19. 38"Way to go, kid!"
  20. 41Heir to the throne, maybe
  21. 42Like a good explanation, say
  22. 44Brain ___
  23. 45Prominent features of tarsiers
  24. 46[M/H]inds
  25. 50Fitness fad popularized by Billy Blanks
  26. 51"Animal Farm" or "The Simpsons"
  27. 55Soccer great Mia
  28. 57Apartment with a high ceiling
  29. 60New beginning
  30. 61Pub order
  31. 62[Z/R]est
  32. 64Magic setting, in brief
  33. 65List of things to discuss
  34. 66Mother of a stable family?
  35. 67___ pal
  36. 68Individual
  37. 69Hershey toffee bar

Down

  1. 1Black ___, nickname for Kobe Bryant
  2. 2Company that created Pong
  3. 3Fish, roads or weapons that are long and thin
  4. 4Sneakiness
  5. 5Goof
  6. 6Brain or ear part
  7. 7Coolness, of a sort
  8. 8Magician's cry
  9. 9Many a Winter Olympian
  10. 10"Holy moley!"
  11. 11"No sweat!"
  12. 12___ on the wrist
  13. 13Word with home or half
  14. 18What cologne may mask
  15. 22Injured
  16. 24Pub order
  17. 26Site for "unique and creative" items
  18. 28"Sleep is like a ___: It only comes to you if you ignore it": Gillian Flynn
  19. 29Big box store that merged with Sears in 2005
  20. 30Sunburn remedy
  21. 31X's, sometimes
  22. 32Ruler division
  23. 33Tall story
  24. 34Weekly reward for a strict dieter, maybe
  25. 38Keister, in Leicester
  26. 39Feathered accessory that won't constrict you
  27. 40Singer Redding
  28. 43First in a race?
  29. 45Regards highly
  30. 47Do a favor
  31. 48Worker overhead
  32. 49Cooking fat
  33. 52Chris with the 1991 hit "Wicked Game"
  34. 53Cool again, maybe
  35. 54Heavens
  36. 55Rest like a bat
  37. 56Jessica of "Fantastic Four"
  38. 58Marshy areas
  39. 59Task on a list
  40. 62Greatly surpass, as competitors in a race
  41. 63Raced

The answer to “Black ___, nickname for Kobe Bryant” in the New York Times crossword is MAMBA — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 8, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 1-Down, and it has also run on 1 earlier date with the same answer. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Black ___, nickname for Kobe Bryant” answer

MAMBA (5 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is MAMBA.

Why the answer is MAMBA

This reptile shares a name with a famous basketball legend! 🐍

What does MAMBA mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of MAMBA is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a large, agile, highly venomous African snake

When else has “Black ___, nickname for Kobe Bryant” appeared?

New York Times reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Black ___, nickname for Kobe Bryant”?

The answer is MAMBA, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on July 8, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Black ___, nickname for Kobe Bryant”?

5 letters: MAMBA.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on July 8, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 1-Down. Earlier appearances: August 1, 2025 → MAMBA.

Can “Black ___, nickname for Kobe Bryant” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for July 8, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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