By Joseph Phillips
Sports writer
Former NBA legend and superstar Kobe Bryant has died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas California, on Sunday, January 26, the Crusader has confirmed.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department, nine people were on board when the helicopter went down near the city of Calabasas early Sunday morning. The passengers have been identified as Kobe Bryant along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, her teammate Alyssa Altobelli and her parents baseball coach John and Keri, assistant basketball coach Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton and the pilot Ara Zobayan.
He played his entire 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers and finished his career as one of the best to ever play the game.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was drafted into the NBA straight out of high school at the age of 17.
He retired in 2016 a five-time NBA champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, Academy Award winner, third in NBA scoring and the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history.
Bryant was selected to an NBA record 18 consecutive NBA All-Star Games. He also won two gold medals while representing the USA in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.
As the news broke, members of the NBA family, and many others, were shocked to hear the news.
Bryant was 41 years old, and leaves behind three daughters Natalia, 17, Bianca 3, Capri, 7 months and his wife Vanessa.
Bryant will be surely missed.
Updates to come as the story unfolds.
