Kobe Bryant has announced plans to include an esports training ground at the Mamba Sports Academy, a new joint venture between the retired National Basketball Association (NBA) icon and a 100,000 square-foot facility in Thousand Oaks, California.

As well as housing a space for competitive gamers, the Mamba Sports Academy will also feature five basketball courts, five volleyball courts, a turf field, a biomechanics lab, batting cages and pitching mounds.

The academy, which has been rebranded as part of the tie-up with Bryant, first opened in 2016 and currently supports more than 50,000 young athletes, as well as serving as a training facility for NBA, National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) athletes during the off-season.

“Mamba Sports Academy is a natural expansion of my commitment to educating and empowering the next generation of kids through sports,” said Bryant. “At Mamba Sports Academy, we will focus on offering a premium experience on proper training for young athletes, and infuse a little ‘Mamba Mentality’ into their programs.”

Bryant is yet to follow the likes of former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Shaquille O’Neal by making a significant investment in an esports organisation, but told USA Today earlier this year that “you can’t help but be interested” in competitive gaming.

It is not yet clear what titles the esports training ground at Mamba Sports Academy will accommodate, but it would provide a suitable practice space for any competitive gaming team should Bryant look to invest in the future.

The academy marks Bryant’s latest business move, adding to a media and storytelling portfolio that was launched as part of a US$100 million joint venture with his business partner Jeff Stibel.

The Oscar-winning star also made a US$6 million investment in sports drink BodyArmor in 2014, just three years after the company was founded. Action Network's Darren Rovell says Bryant’s investment is now worth more than US$200 million after Coca-Cola recently purchased a minority stake in the brand.