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Kobe Bryant, NBA Legend, Dies in Helicopter Crash
Bryant's 13-year-old daughter also died in the accident
Update 4:03 p.m. PT: CBS News reports that Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli was among the nine killed in Sunday's helicopter crash. Altobelli's brother Tony confirmed to ABC News that Altobelli's wife and daughter Alyssa were also on board.
Update 1:42 p.m. PT: Multiple news organizations, including NBC News and EPSN, report that Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria Onore, nicknamed Gigi, was on board the helicopter when it crashed, along with the pilot, and another child and parent. The LA Sheriff's Department stated in a press conference that there were nine people on board the aircraft when it crashed. They declined to confirm specific names until the coroner's office is able to confirm who was on board.
NBA legend Kobe Bryant has died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on Sunday. The former basketball player was 41 years old.
The City of Calabasas issued a statement on Twitter confirming Bryant is one of five people who perished when Bryant's private helicopter crashed in a remote field. All nine people on board were killed. No one on the ground was injured. The incident is currently under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
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.
— City of Calabasas (@CityofCalabasas) January 26, 2020
Considered one of the greatest professional basketball players of all time, Bryant played for 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won five NBA championships and still holds the franchise record for most points scored (33,643). He retired in 2016. An 18-time all star and two-time Olympic gold medalist in basketball, he was instrumental in the Lakers' historic three-peat championship wins in 2000, 2001 and 2002 alongside Shaquille O'Neal.
Bryant's other accomplishments include being named NBA's Most Valuable Player in 2008, becoming the youngest player to reach 30,000 points and four All-Star MVP Award. In 2018, he won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short for his film Dear Basketball.
He is survived by his wife Vanessa, who was reportedly not on the helicopter Sunday.
Representatives for Bryant did not immediately return TV Guide's request for comment.