NBA star Kobe Bryant, his second daughter Gianna, and three others have been killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas.
Emergency services at the scene of the crash have confirmed the former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star’s death. Kobe was 41 years old and Gianna was 13 years old.
According to TMZ, the pair was traveling to the Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks, California; for a basketball practice when the crash occurred.
They were among at least five people confirmed dead in the accident, including another player and parent. Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, is apparently not among them.
Bryant used his Sikorsky S-76 helicopter to travel for years; often flying from Newport Beach to the Staples Center for Lakers games.
Officials with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded to reports of the crash in Calabasas at around 10am after a fire broke out.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. Witnesses reported hearing the helicopter’s engine sputtering before it went down.
It is unclear where the chopper took off from or where it was going.
Bryant spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers; winning five NBA championships and 18 All-Star titles before he retired in 2016.
Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant are survived by Kobe’s wife Vanessa and their three other daughters – Natalia and Bianca, and newborn Capri.
The Philadelphia native spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers, winning five NBA championships and 18 All-Star titles before he retired in 2016.
He was the first guard in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons.
