Kobe was named after a steak Kobe's father, Joe Bryant named his son after the expensive and known Japanese cut of beef, “Kobe Beef,” after seeing it on a menu. When he became known and his brand name blew up, Bryant sued the Japanese city of Kobe in 2010, for the right to rename their signature product. While the city of Kobe had been around longer than him, he decided to sue it because he had become more famous and influential and his brand could easily be threatened.