Kobe Bryant killed in helicopter crash
By Mary Clarke
Kobe Bryant has been killed in an helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on Sunday morning.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, 41, has been killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. TMZ first reported the news on Sunday morning from California, with sources from the Los Angeles authorities and ABC confirming the report.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Bryant was traveling on his private helicopter with at least three other people when the vehicle went down in Calabasas. He has been known to travel via private helicopter for years dating back to his days with the Lakers as a way to commute to work.
In the incident, the private helicopter went down on Sunday morning and a fire broke out at the scene. While emergency personnel responded, TMZ first reported that no one on board the aircraft survived, with five people confirmed dead. Bryant’s wife, Vanessa Laine Bryant, was reportedly not on board the aircraft when it went down. Contradictory reports emerged about who else might have been on the helicopter but it was eventually confirmed that the deceased included Bryant’s oldest daughter, Gianna.
Bryant was a Laker for the entirety of his 20-year playing NBA career, which started in 1996. He was selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 NBA Draft, then traded to the Lakers. Over the course of his career, Bryant won five NBA titles with Los Angeles and was an All-Star for 18 seasons during his historic run as a Laker.
During his seven championship appearances, Bryant won the Finals MVP twice alongside his five victories. In 20 seasons, Bryant played 1346 games in a Lakers’ uniform and had the second-longest NBA career with one team in the sport’s history, only bested by Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks.
Bryant will leave behind an enduring NBA legacy after a long career with the Lakers.