Kobe Bryant, 41, Killed in Helicopter Crash
Basketball fans around the world are in mourning after legendary National Basketball Association (NBA) player, Kobe Bryant, died in a helicopter crash on Sunday morning, 26 January.
According to police reports, the retired 41-year-old player – who played his entire 20-year career with NBA outfit, Los Angeles Lakers – was travelling in a private helicopter through Calabasas, California.
The helicopter was en-route to Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in nearby Thousand Oaks, when it suddenly crashed into a remote field off Las Virgenes. It then proceeded to burst into flames.
All nine passengers onboard the aircraft – including Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna – were killed.
Police authorities in Los Angeles County said it could take several days to recover the bodies from the rough-terrain crash site.
Meanwhile, fans gathered in their numbers at various venues, from the sports academy to Los Angeles’ Staples Centre sports arena, to pay tribute to “the Black Mamba” and his daughter.
Bryant is survived by his wife, Vanessa, and their three daughters – Natalia, Bianka and Capri.
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