NBA Great Kobe Bryant Dies In Calabasas Helicopter Crash, 5 Confirmed Dead

Bruce Haring
Updated

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Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Laker who became one of the NBA’s all-time greats and went on to become an Oscar-winning producer, died this morning in a helicoper crash in Calabasas, Calif.

Bryant was traveling with at least three others, and authorities said 5 people are confirmed dead. Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, was not among the passengers.

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The helicopter crash resulted in a fire that triggered emergency personnel to the scene. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the crash occurred around 10 AM in Calabasas, a city located 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

The Federal Aviation Administration identified the helicopter as a Sikorsky S-76, which Bryant owned. It crashed under “unknown circumstances.” The FAA said it was informed by local authorities that were were five people on board at the time.

Bryant has used a helicopter to travel around California for years, dating back to his time with the Lakers.

Bryant is survived by his wife Vanessa, and four daughters — Gianna, Natalia and Bianca and their newborn Capri.

Lebron James recently passed Bryant’s career total of 33,643 points on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. James is now third behind Karl Malone (36,928) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38387). Bryant played 20 years for the Lakers, averaging 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in 1,346 regular season games. He won an MVP Award and was selected to play in 18 All-Star Games. Kobe Bryant was born August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, PA, the son of former NBA player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant. He was drafted out of high school in 1996 in the first round as the 13th pick by the Charlotte Hornets, who then traded him to the Lakers.

He ended his career in 2016. In his final NBA game, Bryant scored 60 points, helping the Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Utah Jazz, 101-96. He scored 23 points in the final quarter.

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