Sad news today. NBA great Kobe Bryant reportedly died in a helicoper crash in Calabasas earlier this morning (January 26, 2020).

Details below…

According to TMZ, Kobe and at least 7 other people were traveling in his private helicopter when it went down.

The LA sheriff’s department received reports of the downed aircraft just after 1pm EST (10am PT).

A fire broke out. Emergency personnel responded, but nobody on board survived. 9 people are confirmed dead. We’re told Vanessa Bryant was not among those on board.

Eyewitnesses also tell us that they heard the helicopter’s engine sputtering before it went down. As you can see, flames and smoke covered much of the scene from the wreck. The official cause of the crash is currently under investigation.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The basketball legend has famously used a helicopter to travel for years, dating back to when he played for the Lakers. He was known for commuting from Newport Beach, CA to the STAPLES Center in DTLA in his Sikorsky S-76 chopper.

Bryant 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.

Bryant played his entire 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers and the team famously retired both of his jerseys, number 8 and 24. Bryant was the only player in team history to receive that honor.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bryant 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 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.

On Saturday, LeBron James passed Kobe as third on the all-time NBA scoring list and Bryant paid tribute to Bron in his last social posts:

Kobe Bryant is survived by his wife Vanessa the couple has 4 daughters daughters: Gianna, Natalia and Bianca and their newborn Capri.

UPDATE: TMZ reports that Kobe’s daughter Gianna Maria Onore (aka GiGi) was also on board the helicopter and died in the crash. She was 13.

Story developing…