Former NBA superstar Kobe Bryant along with his daughter have passed away due to a crash involving his personal helicopter. Bryant has used his Sikorsky S-76 chopper for years to travel between Newport Beach, California to the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles while he was a LA Laker.
The famous former Laker and his daughter and three other people died after the chopper crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California. At this time it is not known if Bryant was piloting. Photos of the smoldering crash are online but will not be shown here.
At only 41 he and his daughter Gianna are survived by his wife and three daughters including their newborn.
Bryant played 20 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers. While there he made 18 All-Star teams, won five NBA championships and won 2 gold medals in the Olympics. After his career he also won an Academy Award for his short animated film Dear Basketball. The Lakers retired both of Kobe’s jerseys #8 and #24 which is the only player in team history to receive that honor.
Heavy fog in the area is suspected to have played a role in the crash.
This really sucks. For some reason, it's always when a father passes with a child because you know there was nothing he could do to save her and I'm sure that was top of mind for him.
This is surreal and unexpectedly random. My heart goes out to his family for the loss is doubly painful and felt…Father and daughter . Let's not forget about the other families of the seven who have also suffered a loss.