NBA legend Kobe Bryant died along with his daughter in a helicopter crash at California
Los Angeles: NBA legend Kobe Bryant died on Sunday when a helicopter in which he was riding crashed and burst into flames, killing all nine people on board including his teenage daughter and plunging the sports world into mourning.
Bryant, 41, was travelling with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other passengers and crew when their Sikorsky S-76 helicopter banged into a rough hillside in Calabasas, west of Los Angeles. There were no survivors.
Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist was widely considered as one of the greatest basketball players in history, an illustrious figure who became one of the faces of his sport during a sparkling two-decade career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Dozens of firefighters and paramedics battled across steep terrain to reach the flaming debris at the crash site but found no survivors, officials said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said an 18-strong team of investigators would be sent to California to probe the causes of the crash. Bryant's death sent shockwaves throughout the world, with basketball stars stunned by the news.
"Laker Nation, the game of basketball and our city will never be the same without Kobe," former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson wrote on Twitter.
Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan said Bryant was "like a little brother" to him. "Words can't describe the pain I'm feeling," Jordan said. "We used to talk often, and I will miss those conversations very much," he added.
