Investigators at the scene of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other individuals in Calabasas, Calif., on Monday By. Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press
NBA legend Kobe Bryant died on Sunday during a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, a source has confirmed to the Associated Press. The news was first reported by TMZ, which also broke the doubly sad news that Mr. Bryant's 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Maria Onore, also died during the crash.
Mr. Bryant was 41.
Sources told TMZ Mr. Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other individuals were on the helicopter on their way to the Mamba Academy for a basketball practice when the crash occurred. The academy is in nearby Thousand Oaks.
The other individuals who died during the accident include Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri and their daughter Alyssa, who was a club basketball teammate of Gianna’s. Also aboard the helicopter was Christina Mauser, an assistant girls basketball coach at an elementary school in Orange County, California.
The remaining three passengers were identified on Monday as pilot Ara Zobayan and Sarah Chester and her daughter, Payton, 13.
Eyewitnesses said they heard the helicopter's engine sputtering before it went down, TMZ said. The official cause of the crash is currently under investigation.
According to the Associated Press, Mr. Bryant, an 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships with the Lakers, became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during his 20-year career spent entirely with Lakers.
Mr. Bryant retired in 2016 as the third-leading scorer in NBA history, finishing two decades with the Lakers as a prolific scorer with a sublime all-around game and a relentless competitive ethic. He held that spot in the league scoring ranks until Saturday night, when the Lakers’ LeBron James passed him for third place during a game in Philadelphia, Bryant’s hometown.
“Continuing to move the game forward (at)KingJames,” Mr. Bryant wrote in his last tweet. “Much respect my brother.”
