Former Los Angeles Lakers star and NBA legend Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash Sunday in Calabasas, California, USA TODAY confirmed.
Bryant, 41, was flying on his personal helicopter Sunday morning when it crashed about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed in a tweet five people died in the crash and there were no survivors. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
USA TODAY confirmed Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was also on the helicopter and is confirmed dead. The pair was traveling to a youth basketball game. Gianna has been in the public eye more since Bryant’s retirement in 2016. Bryant regularly discussed coaching her youth basketball team and posted about attending her games. Gianna has also attended several basketball games with Bryant.
The identities of the other victims have not yet been confirmed.
The NBA legend played for the Lakers for 20 seasons and ranks fourth on the NBA’s all-time leading scorers list with 33,643 points. LeBron James passed Bryant on the list Saturday evening.
During his career, Bryant was named NBA MVP after the 2007-08 season and won five NBA Championships. He claimed back-to-back NBA Finals MVP awards in 2009 and 2010. Among his many accolades are 11 All-NBA first-team selections (second-most in NBA history), two Olympic gold medals and 18 All-Star team selections. He also won an Academy Award in 2018 for “Dear Basketball”, the year’s Best Animated Short Film.
Bryant was married to Vanessa Bryant and had four daughters.
Bryant’s legacy was bigger than basketball. News of his death incited messages of grief and respect from sports figures around the globe including several golfers.
🙏🙏🙏 Shook right now. RIP KOBE ❤️❤️❤️
— Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) January 26, 2020
Can’t get this video out of my head. Of all the things I loved Kobe for, this one is just so cool to me. I have no words other than RIP to somebody I loved and wanted to be like when it was game time. 💛💜 #24 #8 #MambaMentality https://t.co/6bs1Wq4Xro
— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) January 26, 2020
Absolutely shocking news, so sad…🙏🏼 https://t.co/3ROof8TOgo
— Trevor Immelman (@TrevorImmelman) January 26, 2020
My heart breaks for his wife and daughters 💔💔💔🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 https://t.co/qu7SrNJ3Zu
— Brittany Lincicome (@Brittany1golf) January 26, 2020
Growing up in Southern California in the 2000s, Kobe was a god. Icon doesn't do him justice. He was every kid's favorite athlete. And he was just scratching the surface of his creativity and ingenuity with his post-NBA career. A ridiculously horrible loss.
— Daniel Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) January 26, 2020
Just spoke to a shaken Jason Day right after he heard the Kobe news in scoring tent:
“It makes you physically sick…he was a young man, in the prime of his life, doing amazing things off the court. There are no words.”
— Daniel Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) January 26, 2020
Sad day and hard to believe. RIP Mamba pic.twitter.com/hnkCqgg794
— Auburn Men's Golf (@AuburnMGolf) January 26, 2020
Hard to believe. RIP #KobeBryant 🐍 #MambaMentality
— Bryson DeChambeau (@b_dechambeau) January 26, 2020
The vibe at Torrey Pines has completely changed.
This is devastating…#RIPKobe 💔
— Lisa Cornwell (@LisaCornwellGC) January 26, 2020
Please please please tell me it’s not true… #kobe 🤞🏻
— Edoardo Molinari (@DodoMolinari) January 26, 2020
Kobe Kobe Kobe!!! So dang sad! As a lifelong basketball fan it was so awesome to see such an amazing talent & see him mature as a player and man. RIP. Prayers for everyone involved.
— Meredith Duncan (@Meredith_Duncan) January 26, 2020
Kobe 😢 #RIP #KobeBryant
— C.T. Pan (@ctpangolf) January 26, 2020
I can not even believe this 💔🙏🏼😭 https://t.co/nmalSh4oQy
— Blair O'Neal (@BLAIRONEAL) January 26, 2020
This story is developing and will be updated.