American basketballer Kobe Bryant this morning died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
The 41-year-old legend was reportedly traveling with four other people in his personal helicopter when it crashed.
Kobe Bryant is survived by his wife Vanessa and their four daughters – Gianna, Natalia and Bianca and newborn Capri.
Kobe was reportedly traveling with five other people when his helicopter went down. A fire was reported but when the emergency rescue team got to them, everyone was dead.
Kobe is widely considered one of the greatest NBA players of all time – making 18 All-Star teams during his 20-year career with the Lakers. He was a first-round pick in the 1996 draft, winning 5 NBA championships, 2 NBA Finals MVPs and he was the league MVP in ’08.
He was on 15 All-NBA Teams, 12 All-Defensive Teams and led the league in scoring for two seasons. He ranks fourth in the NBA for all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring.
The Lakers famously retired both of Kobe’s jerseys, number 8 and 24 … the only player in team history to receive that honor.
At age 34, Kobe became the youngest player in NBA history to surpass the 30,000 point mark. Speaking of putting up points, the guy was notorious for his 81 point game against the Toronto Raptors in 2006. It was one of the greatest performances in modern NBA history.
A few hours ago, LeBron James passed Kobe as third on the all-time NBA scoring list. Kobe paid tribute to LeBron on Instagram by saying, “On to #2 @kingjames! Keep growing the game and charting the path for the next.”
He was 41 years old. Rest in Peace Kobe.
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