Kobe Bryant dies in helicopter crash: TMZ

Jan 26 2020, 7:55 pm

One of the greatest basketball players of all time, Kobe Bryant has died at the age of 41 in a helicopter crash in California, TMZ reports.

Bryant was traveling in his private helicopter with three others, TMZ reports. LA Country Sheriffs confirmed there were five fatalities in the crash, though victims have not been publicly identified.

TMZ first reported that Bryant was amongst those in the helicopter when it crashed around 10 am. ESPN, ABC, the LA Times, and Variety have also now confirmed Bryant was on the helicopter.

Update – 12:45 pm PT: After many unconfirmed reports flooding social media, TMZ is now reporting Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria Ono, AKA GiGi, was also on board and died in the crash.

The 18-time NBA All-Star played his entire 20-season career with the LA Lakers, leading the team to five NBA championships. He scored a total of 33,643 points during his career, and retired from after the 2015-16 season.

Bryant’s last tweet came on Saturday night as he praised LeBron James for passing him to become No. 3 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

Bryant is survived by his wife, Vanessa, and three children: Natalia, Bianka, and newborn Capri.

Daily Hive StaffDaily Hive Staff

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