Following the news of Kobe Bryant’s passing, reports are now revealing that his daughter has also died. According to TMZ, the former NBA champion’s 13-year-old daughter was aboard the helicopter that crashed in Calabasas as well. Kobe’s rep confirmed to TMZ Sports that his daughter, Gianna — also known as Gigi – was reportedly among the five confirmed deaths in the crash.
The outlet reported that they were traveling to the Mamba Academy for a basketball practice in Thousand Oaks when the crash occurred.
According to a report from NBC News, the crashed occurred at around 10 a.m.
Bryant’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, was not on the helicopter.
Bryant is survived by his wife, daughters Natalia and Bianca, and their newborn Capri.
Bryant revealed to earlier this month that his daughter is the reason he watches basketball. During an interview on Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson’s podcast, “All the Smoke,” Kobe said, “You know what’s funny. Before Gigi got into basketball I hardly watched it, but now that’s she’s into basketball, we watch every night.”
He added, “I mean every game. She watches everything!”
Bryant later revealed Gigi’s favorite NBA players. “She likes watching Trae Young a lot, she watched Luka Doncic a lot, she watches James Harden, she watches Russell Westbrook, I mean she watches [LeBron James],” she said.
Kobe also said that him and his daughter attended two Lakers games late last year. That was the first time he had visited the Staples center since he retired his jersey in 2017.
“When I took her to the Laker game, that’s the first Laker game I’ve been to I think since my jersey retirement,” he said. “We just had so much fun because it was the first time I was seeing the game through her eyes. It wasn’t me sitting there, you know, as an athlete or a player or something like that, and you know it’s like about me, and I don’t like that. It was her, she was having such a good time.”
Check out a video of Kobe and his daughter Gianna below.
Revolt TV sends our condolences to Kobe Bryant’s family and friends at this time.