NBA great Kobe Bryant dies in helicopter crash
Los Angeles Lakers basketball legend Kobe Bryant was one of five people killed in a helicopter crash Sunday in Southern California, according to published reports.
Kobe Bryant's daughter Gianna, 13, was also killed in the California helicopter crash, along with her father and three other people, a source tells CNN.
According to CNN, the retired NBA superstar and four others died when a helicopter they were flying in crashed near Calabasas around 10 am PT Sunday.
There were no survivors, and all on board the helicopter were found deceased at the crash site, said the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. An investigation is ongoing, and the National Transportation Safety Board also will investigate the incident.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office
The aircraft was confirmed to be a Sikorsky S-76E (helicopter).
Calabasas is located in the hills west of the San Fernando Valley.
A native of Philadelphia, Bryant, who was 41, had a 20-year career with the Lakers. He entered the NBA directly out of high school and played on teams that won five NBA national championships. Bryant is a revered athlete in China.
Tony Imbrenda, public information officer for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, told China Daily on Sunday that the victims of the crash have yet to be identified.
