Kobe Bryant Dead in Helicopter Crash at Age 41

Kobe Bryant was killed on Sunday morning in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, E! News has confirmed. He was 41. He was 41.

The NBA legend and one of the best basketball players of all time, who retired in 2016 after 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers, was one of five people who died in the accident, which is under investigation.

It is unclear where the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter was headed or who piloted it. The aircraft crashed amid foggy conditions into a hillside near an intersection in area north of Malibu State Park. A small brush fire erupted and firefighters quickly extinguished it while other emergency workers searched the wreckage for survivors. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department posted on Twitter photos of the crash site.

Kobe is survived by his wife Vanessa Bryant, and their four daughters—Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and baby Capri.

During his NBA days, the athlete, an 18-time All-Star with the Lakers, often commuted via private helicopter from his home in the Newport Beach area to Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles.

Kobe, who was born in Philadelphia, entered the NBA straight out of high school and won five NBA titles with the Lakers and two Olympic gold medals playing for the United States. In 2018, he won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for Dear Basketball.

News of Kobe’s death was first reported by TMZ.

Kobe’s death comes one day after he was passed by Lakers forward LeBron James for third place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list while the team played the Philadelphia 76ers, ESPN reported. The night before, Kobe tweeted, “Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother #33644.”

In 1996, the Charlotte Hornets selected Kobe as No. 13 and then traded him to the Lakers, where he wore both No. 8 and 24 jerseys, both of which were retired by the franchise. Before Saturday’s game, LeBron inscribed his sneakers with “Mamba 4 Life” and “8/24 KB” in gold marker, ESPN said.

“It’s another guy that I looked up to when I was in grade school and high school,” LeBron said. “Seeing him come straight out of high school, he is someone that I used as inspiration. It was like, wow. Seeing a kid, 17 years old, come into the NBA and trying to make an impact on a franchise, I used it as motivation.”

“Kobe’s a legend, that’s for damn sure,” he added.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.