Basketball legend Kobe Bryant was killed along with one of his daughters and seven others in a helicopter crash Sunday morning.
By Nick Garber, Patch Staff
Jan 26, 2020 11:56 am PT | Updated Jan 26, 2020 4:20 pm PT
CALABASAS, CA — Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was killed along with one of his daughters and seven other people in a helicopter crash into a hillside near Malibu Sunday morning, according to the authorities and news reports. Bryant was 41 years old.
Bryant was headed to a travel basketball game with his daughter, Gianna, 13, according to multiple reports. A manifest showed that nine people had boarded the helicopter Sunday morning, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Sunday afternoon. Villanueva declined to identify any of the victims.
A third victim has been identified as John Altobelli, head baseball coach at Orange Coast College. The college confirmed his death in a statement, saying he had worked at the school for 27 years.
None of the people on board the helicopter survived the crash, which was called in at 9:47 a.m. on the 4200 block of Las Virgenes Road, according to officials. The number of passengers was originally reported as five, but authorities said at a news conference later Sunday that nine people were believed to be on board.
Immediately following the crash, firefighters responded to the scene to douse the flames coming from the wreckage and a quarter-acre brush fire, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said at Sunday’s news conference. Crews encountered difficulties as magnesium was at the crash site, which “is very hard for our firefighters to extinguish” due to its reaction with water and oxygen, he said.
Bryant played 20 seasons with the Lakers, becoming an icon in Los Angeles and leading the team to five NBA titles. He retired in 2016, scoring 60 points in his final game. He now ranks as the fourth-leading scorer in league history.
Bryant’s death was confirmed by the City of Calabasas, who said nobody on the ground was hurt.
The crash is under investigation by the FAA and NTSB.
NTSB Spokeswoman Jennifer Homendy said at a brief press conference Sunday that a team of 18 investigators was en route to California from Washington, D.C., and is expected to arrive the same evening.
The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, but conditions were foggy in the Calabasas hills Sunday morning, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The FAA says the aircraft involved in the deadly crash was a Sikorsky S-76, though the agency is not currently releasing the tail number of the helicopter.
Shock and sadness
Fans gathered by the dozens outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles, beside the mural of Bryant on Melrose Avenue, and at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach, where Bryant attended Mass regularly with his family, to pay their respects to the NBA legend.
Images from the Los Angeles scene show fans are bringing flowers, signs and more to express their shock and grief at the news.
Just surreal at Staples Center – Kobe’s face on every screen as hundreds of people seem to just want to be somewhere they can cry together. Also: The Grammys are here tonight so there is the odd person wandering around in a tuxedo.
None of this feels real.
In Calabasas, authorities designated DeAnza Park, not far from the crash site, as a site to leave flowers or pay respects to the crash victims.
Two NBA teams found a creative way to honor Bryant — the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors each committed 24-second shot clock violations to open their game Sunday afternoon, a tribute to Bryant’s jersey number.
President Donald J. Trump reacted on Twitter to reports of Bryant’s death, calling it “terrible news!” Former President Barack Obama called Bryant a “legend on the court.”
“To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents,” Obama said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, the sports community came together to share messages of shock and sadness.
“I am in shock over the tragic news of Kobe’s and Gianna’s passing,” Michael Jordan said in a statement. Words can’t describe the pain I’m feeling. I loved Kobe — he was like a brother to me.”
Shaquille O’Neal, who won three championships with the Lakers alongside Bryant, said there were “no words to express the pain” he felt following the news.
“Kobe was so much more than an athlete, he was a family man,” O’Neal wrote. “That was what we had most in common. I would hug his children like they were my own and he would embrace my kids like they were his.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league was “devastated” by the passing of Bryant and his daughter.
“For 20 seasons, Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning,” Silver said.
Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, also joined countless others in expressing their feelings over the basketball legend’s unexpected death.
“Damn. RIP Mamba. May your memory be a blessing,” Cuban wrote, referencing Bryant’s nickname, “Black Mamba.”
Former Vice President Joe Biden shared his thoughts Sunday on the sudden death of the basketball legend at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa. Biden mentioned he didn’t know Bryant well and told reporters he “only met him a couple of times.”
“But you know it makes you realize you gotta make every day count,” he said to local media. “Every single solid day count, every single day count.”
NBA leader
In addition to being one of the greatest NBA players of all time, Bryant held the distinction of being part of one of the worst trades in sports history.
The Charlotte Hornets drafted Bryant 13 picks into the 1996 draft but apparently had no idea they had just snagged a point guard who would become a legend. The Hornets dealt Bryant to the Lakers in a prearranged deal for center Vlade Divac.
A graduate of Lower-Merrion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, Bryant entered the NBA straight out of the suburban Philadelphia school. Aside from his five NBA titles, he also won two Olympic gold medals representing the United States.
Bryant now sits fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, with 33,643 points. He won two NBA Finals MVP awards and one NBA regular-season MVP honor during his long career. He is one of five players in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons with a single team.
Just yesterday, Bryant was passed by LeBron James for third place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
“Continuing to move the game forward,” Bryant tweeted at James Friday evening, in congratulations.