[Headie]

Kobe Bryant died in a helicoper crash in Calabasas Sunday morning ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.



Kobe was traveling with at least 3 other people in his private helicopter when it went down. A fire broke out. Emergency personnel responded, but nobody on board survived. 5 people are confirmed dead. We're told Vanessa Bryant was not among those on board.

12:35 PM PT -- Kobe's daughter Gianna Maria Onore -- aka GiGi -- was also on board the helicopter and died in the crash ... reps for Kobe tell TMZ Sports. She was 13.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Kobe has famously used a helicopter to travel for years -- dating back to when he played for the Lakers. He was known for commuting from Newport Beach, CA to the STAPLES Center in DTLA in his Sikorsky S-76 chopper.

Kobe has recently been spotted out at NBA games with his daughter Gianna -- a rising star basketball player herself. Their youngest daughter, Capri, was just born in June 2019.

Kobe is widely considered one of the greatest NBA players of all time -- making 18 All-Star teams during his 20 year career with the Lakers. He was a first-round pick in the 1996 draft, winning 5 NBA championships, 2 NBA Finals MVPs and he was the league MVP in '08.

The Lakers famously retired both of Kobe's jerseys, number 8 and 24 ... the only player in team history to receive that honor.

https://www.tmz.com/2020/01/26/kobe-...-in-calabasas/

I'm shocked

[Amy Jade]

Omg

[Denver]

Wow

[Jessica.]

Someone just told me about this, I am shocked, he was so young

[Tony Montana]

OMG! I'm in shock!

[LeatherTrumpet]

wtf

i said to smallest boy LT today when a copter flew overhead, bloody dangerous things!

[Shaun]

Huge loss to sport, that's awful

[Alf]

Sad news

RIP Kobe

[LaLaLand]

A massive loss. I was a huge fan. RIP Kobe!

[RileyH]

Omfg what?? RIP </3

[Jigs]

Wow. what a shock...

RIP </3

[Cal.]

Oh my god

[Moniqua]

[SherzyK]

RIP </3

[Ammi]

...it’s one of those things that you have to shake yourself to believe..incredibly tragic..

[JerseyWins]

This is sooo damn shocking & sad. Legit feel like crying right now. One of my favorites ever in NBA history and such a good guy. RIP Kobe

His youngest child (daughter I believe) born this past June. Just so sad

[Josiah.]

A tweet from the City of Calabasas (from 3:09pm ET/12:09pm PT/8:09pm GMT) confirming the news:

It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of Kobe Bryant and four others in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. The aircraft went down in a remote field off Las Virgenes around 10:00 this morning. Nobody on the ground was hurt. The FAA and NTSB are investigating.

[Josiah.]

TMZ is now reporting that his daughter, Gianna Maria, was on-board the helicopter as well.

[Shaun]

[Zizu]

Have they said who the other three people were ?

Strange timing ... just a day or so after his long standing scoring record was bettered ..

I thought the worst at first but now it’s been revealed that five people lost their lives it’s clear that it was simply a terrible tragedy ..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Josiah.

TMZ is now reporting that his daughter, Gianna Maria, was on-board the helicopter as well.

...sadly this is being reported by many media now...that GiGi was with him.....

[Barry.]

Helicopters are dangerous. Poor man and his daughter, and the rest who lost their lifes.

[Jordan.]

So sad for their family. RIP.

[GiRTh]

RIP to a bona fide legend. He wasnt even retired long enough to see his own inevitable Hall of Fame induction. So tragic.

[Moniqua]

NOT his daughter too </3