Former Los Angeles Laker and five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant and his daughter died Sunday in a helicopter crash in the Los Angeles area. Authorities believe seven other people were also killed.
David Shapiro, a former mayor of Calabasas and currently a city councilman, confirmed to NBC News that Bryant, 41, was on the helicopter.
Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna was also on the helicopter, according to Shapiro. The two were on board with another parent and child who were not identified.
Kobe and Gianna Bryant were captured on cameras last month sitting court side at a Brooklyn Nets game in New York City, where they seemed to be discussing basketball.
The father and daughter were reportedly on their way to a travel basketball game when the helicopter crashed, according to ESPN.
A call for a downed helicopter in Calabasas went out at 10:01h local time, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. People who were out mountain biking in the area reported the accident.
“Unfortunately, there were no survivors,” Los Angeles County Fire Captain Tony Imbrenda told reporters Sunday.
On Saturday night, Bryant tweeted his congratulations to LeBron James after he surpassed Bryant on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Bryant told GQ in 2010 that he would take a private helicopter from his Orange County home to every home game he played at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.
County officials said firefighters were able to extinguish the flames and are working to preserve evidence for investigators. The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed it was sending a team to investigate the crash of the Sikorsky S-76B. (NBC NEWS)
