Former NBA champion Kobe Bryant has died at age 41 in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, TMZ Sports reports. Bryant was said to be traveling with at least three others in his private helicopter at the time before it crashed. TMZ says that there could have been nine victims — eight passengers and one pilot — total. After the helicopter went down, a fire broke out. Emergency responders arrived to the scene, but there were no survivors on board.
Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, was not among the passengers on board. His daughter Giana was also on board and passed away.
He is survived by his wife, and their other daughters Natalia, Bianca, and newborn, Capri.
Kobe Bryant entered the NBA out of high school in 1996, making him the youngest player in NBA history. He won five NBA titles with the LA Lakers and two Olympic gold medals playing for the United States, ESPN reports. He is also the forth all-time scorer in the NBA with 33,643 points. Not only that, Kobe also won two NBA Finals MVP Awards and one NBA regular-season MVP award.
Bryant retired from the NBA on Nov. 29, 2015. During that season, he played 66 games for the Lakers, and averaged 17.6 points, 3.7 rebound and 2.8 assists. His final game was on April 13, 2016 against the Utah Jazz, where he scored 60 points.
He also recently celebrated LeBron James surpassing him on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
According to Bleacher Report, Bryant opened his 100,000 square foot Mamba Sports Academy facility in 2016. The multi-sport training center supports 50,000 young athletes.
Bryant said in a press release about the Mamba Sports Academy, “Sports Academy has perfected the art and science of athletic training, from elite players to young kids getting started. MAMBA Sports Academy is a natural expansion of my commitment to educating and empowering the next generation of kids through sports.”
Revolt TV will provide updates as they become available.