Kobe Bryant and His Daughter Gianna Maria Dead in a Helicopter Crash, Along With 7 Others

Update (6:35pm EST) — National Transportation Safety Board member Jennifer Homendy said at a press conference Sunday evening that the helicopter crash killed a total of nine people.

A team of investigators will look to see if there’s a black box that can reveal more about the tragic event.

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Update (3:51 pm EST) — Social media has been inundated with rumors that all four of Bryant’s daughters were on board the helicopter at the time of the crash after an ABC anchor reported the news on live TV. However, TMZ has now confirmed that one of Bryant’s daughters was in fact on board the helicopter.

13-year-old Gianna Maria Onore was traveling with her father to Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks for basketball practice at the time of the crash, according to Bryant’s reps who spoke with TMZ Sports.

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(TMU) —  A Sunday afternoon report from TMZ confirmed that former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant has died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

Five deaths have been confirmed by authorities after the Sunday morning crash. It is unknown how many passengers were on the helicopter at the time of the crash and it remains unclear who was traveling with Bryant. TMZ has reported that Kobe’s wife Vanessa Bryant was not among those on board the helicopter.

TMZ is reporting that Vanessa Bryant was not on board the helicopter. No reports on any of the Bryant's four daughters.

Multiple other outlets have now picked up the reporting as well.

Absolutely crushing for the Bryant family.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) January 26, 2020

There is still no indication as to what caused the crash, but reports have indicated that it caught fire when it hit the ground. Bryant is known travel by helicopter frequently.

Deputies on scene with @LACOFD regarding aircraft crash. https://t.co/o2xkFluzQm pic.twitter.com/BPGfKS6nFt

— LASD Lost Hills Stn. (@LHSLASD) January 26, 2020

According to Sports Illustrated, “The 18–time All-Star and 11-time All-NBA first Team led the Lakers to five NBA championships and scored 33,643 points in his 20-year NBA career. He retired from the Lakers after the 2015-16 season after spending his entire career with the franchise.”

Just last night, LeBron James passed Kobe Bryant for the third spot on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother ?? #33644

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) January 26, 2020

Bryant is survived by his wife Vanessa and three of their daughters—Natalia, Bianca, and Capri.

By John Vibes | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com