Former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star, Kobe Bryant is dead. He was killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on Sunday morning. The 41
Former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star, Kobe Bryant is dead. He was killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on Sunday morning. The 41-year-old was traveling with four other people in his private helicopter when it crashed, killing everyone on board.
Officials with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded to reports of the crash near Las Virgenes Rd and Willow Glen St 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 departed from or where it was headed. The crash apparently occurred behind the home of reality star and businessman, Kourtney Kardashian. Kobe Bryant is survived by his wife, Vanessa and their four daughters – Gianna, 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 and was the first and only player in Lakers history to have both of his jersey numbers – 8 and 24 – retired.
Bryant has been known to use a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter to travel for years – often flying from Newport Beach to the Staples Center for Lakers games.
