UPDATE: TMZ is now reporting that Kobe's daughter Gianna Maria Onore was on-board the helicopter. She was 13-years-old. They were heading to basketball practice in Thousand Oaks at the Mamba Academy when the helicopter went down.
NBA legend Kobe Bryant died during a helicopter crash in Calabasas Sunday morning, according to TMZ.
https://twitter.com/_/status/1221516283671433216
There were five passengers in total on-board, all of whom are dead. Vanessa Bryant was not on-board.
The Los Angeles sheriff’s department has also confirmed that a helicopter carrying five people crashed in Calabasas. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined but is under investigation.
https://twitter.com/_/status/1221514409056432128
Kobe Bryant is unquestionably considered one of the greatest basketball players of all-time. During his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe impacted the lives of countless sports fans, winning 5 NBA championships, 2 NBA Finals MVPs and more. Both numbers 8 and 24 are retired by the Lakers.
Kobe and his wife Vanessa have four children together: Gianna, Natalia, Bianca, and their newborn Capri, who was born in June 2019.
TMZ says Kobe has been traveling by helicopter dating back to his playing days. He would commute to Staples Center in his Sikorsky S-76 chopper.
This story is being updated.
