Five passengers were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California around 1 p.m. on Sunday, including basketball legend Kobe Bryant (41) and his daughter Gianna (13).
Police have yet to confirm the identities of the remaining passengers, none of whom survived, but the athletic community has been commenting on the crash. CNN and other news and sports media outlets are also reporting on the crash.
According to a tweet by ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Bryant was travelling with his daughter Gianna, another player and a parent at the time of the crash.
The group had been on their way to the Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks, California for a basketball practice said TMZ.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said that the model Sikorsky S-76B helicopter crashed in a remote field. No one on the ground was injured.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have been tasked with investigating the crash.
Bryant was born Aug. 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and lived the majority of his life in Italy, where his father played basketball.
He was drafted to the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1996, directly out of high school. Where he quickly grew into his self-given nickname "Black Mamba," for his prowess and competitive attitude.
His entire 20-season career of professional basketball was spent with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he earned the title of the third all-time scorer in the NBA and brought home five NBA Championships.
Bryant also held the record for all-time points in the NBA, until it was surpassed by a friend and fellow legend Lebron James, the day before the crash. The record now stands at 33,643 points.
Bryant was married to wife Vanessa and had four children; Bianka, Gianna, Natalia and Capri.
