UPDATE (1/27): L.A. authorities have confirmed that among the victims of the crash were Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, 56, his wife, Keri, and daughter Alyssa
Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers legend, five-time NBA champion and one of the most prolific scorers in basketball history, is dead at the age of 41.
The retired basketball star and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were aboard a helicopter that crashed near Calabasas, California, on Sunday morning. Los Angeles County Sheriffs stated that all nine people aboard the helicopter were killed in the crash.
TMZ first reported that Bryant had died in the crash; the report was later confirmed by ESPN NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, who later added that Bryant, his daughter, as well as another father and daughter were on their way to basketball practice at Bryant’s Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks, California. The Los Angeles Times also confirmed Bryant’s death. Investigators were trying to determine what caused the crash, Variety reports.
“The NBA family is devastated by the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
“For 20 seasons, Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning. He was one of the most extraordinary players in the history of our game with accomplishments that are legendary: five NBA championships, an NBA MVP award, 18 NBA All-Star selections, and two Olympic gold medals. But he will be remembered most for inspiring people around the world to pick up a basketball and compete to the very best of their ability. He was generous with the wisdom he acquired and saw it as his mission to share it with future generations of players, taking special delight in passing down his love of the game to Gianna.”