CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Maple Mamba is no more.

Canadian-bred Knicks rookie RJ Barrett, who was given that nickname during his lone year at Duke, said Tuesday he no longer wants to be referred to by the moniker out of respect for Kobe Bryant, who was known throughout his career as the Black Mamba.

“I don’t want to get called that anymore. Somebody great like that, to lose him in that way, is really sad,” Barrett, who is sidelined with a sprained ankle, said said before Tuesday’s 97-92 loss to the Hornets. “Even to this day you just think about it and it keeps replaying in my mind. It’s tough.”

Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others died Sunday in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif.

Barrett added that he never met Kobe, but he always admired the tenacity that earned the former Lakers superstar his nickname.

“I’ve always said I loved his mentality. I always tried to play that way. He had an ‘I don’t care’ mentality,” Barrett said. “He worked so hard. He played so hard all the time. I try to emulate that a lot.”

In a pre-draft interview with ESPN last summer, the 19-year-old Barrett — who was born in Toronto — said he enjoyed the Maple Mamba designation. It was started by sign-toting Duke fans at Cameron Indoor Stadium during his one and only year there.

“I like that a lot,” Barrett said. “The Canadian maple leaf, so I get to rep my home, and also Kobe’s mentality, that mamba mentality, [fits] my competitive nature.”

As for his injury, Barrett took shots on the court at the team’s morning practice for the first time since suffering a high-ankle sprain against Phoenix on Jan. 16. The Knicks’ first-round draft pick was shifted from crutches to a walking boot over the weekend and the team said Saturday he would be reevaluated again by team doctors this weekend.

“To be honest, I’m just continuing to try to get better every day,” Barrett said. “Shot a little bit, doing a little bit of shooting, trying to get my mobility back and trying to get stable on it.”

He added he has been “trying as much as I can to walk without” the boot on his right foot, but admitted he still has to remind himself “not to push” it too soon.

“Yeah, because today I was out there shooting and I was like, ‘Man, I feel good,’ ” Barrett said. “No, it’s a process I got to continue. I still can’t even stand up on one leg. Just got to slow down.”

Dennis Smith Jr., who played at nearby N.C. State, was the first point guard off the bench for the Knicks and finished with seven points in 15 minutes. Frank Ntilikina (three points) didn’t play until 3:44 remained in the fourth quarter.

For more on the Kobe Bryant tragedy, listen to the latest episode of the “Big Apple Buckets” podcast: