NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash in Southern California on Sunday morning, his sudden death at age 41 touching off an outpouring of grief for a star whose celebrity transcended basketball.
According to a close source, the chopper went down in Calabasas, about 30 miles (48 kilometres) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Source says nine people were aboard and presumed dead. Bryant, an all-time basketball great who spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, was among the victims.
However, it has been confirmed that Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna also was killed in the helicopter crash.
Reports from Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer indicates that it was a Sikorsky S-76 and it was not known what caused the crash.
It is said that the fallen NBA star, Bryant often used helicopters to save time and avoid Southern California’s notorious traffic. Even as a player, he often travelled to practices and games by helicopter, and he kept up the practice after retirement as he attended to his business ventures.
