Basketball legend Kobe Bryant dies in helicopter crash

Kobe Bryant, the former Los Angeles Lakers basketball player, died in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday, leaving the US National Basketball Association mourning a legend. 

Bryant was killed in the crash around 10am Pacific Time on Sunday morning, according to the City of Calabasas in Los Angeles county. Bryant’s daughter, Gianna, a rising basketball star in her own right, was also killed, according to the NBA. 

Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, said the league was “devastated” by the loss.

“For 20 seasons, Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning,” Mr Silver said. “He was one of the most extraordinary players in the history of our game with accomplishments that are legendary.”

The LA County Sheriff’s department said there were believed to be nine people on board and that there were no survivors. The sheriff was waiting for the coroner to confirm the identities of the deceased and inform their next of kin before announcing the deaths. 

The 41-year-old champion, born in Philadelphia, spent his 20-year professional basketball career playing for the LA Lakers, forming an all-star duo alongside centre Shaquille O’Neal. Bryant won five NBA championships and two Olympic gold medals for basketball, retiring from the sport in 2016. 

Barack Obama, former US president, tweeted: “Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act. To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents,” he said. 

Since his retirement, Bryant had remained an ambassador for the game, appearing as a frequent writer and commentator for ESPN, and showing up courtside at games. He won an Oscar in 2018 for best animated short film for his movie Dear Basketball, based on a letter he wrote about his retirement from the game. 

Bryant also started a $100m venture capital fund to invest in technology and media companies, alongside entrepreneur Jeff Stibel. Bryant Stibel invested in The Player’s Tribune, a content platform for athletes to connect with fans, and Juicero, the juicing start-up that shut down in 2017. 

Bryant, whose jersey numbers 8 and 24 have both been retired by the Lakers, gave himself the nickname “Black Mamba” in reference to the competitiveness, ferocity and ability to score from anywhere on the court for which he was known. 

The 6” 6’ small forward, who could score from anywhere on the floor, was one of the pioneering players of the game. He entered the NBA directly out of high school, forgoing college, and became the youngest player in history to join the league at the time. In one game, he scored 81 points, the second-highest in the NBA. 

He won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2008 and was twice MVP at the NBA finals.

In 2003, Bryant was arrested over accusations he had raped a teenager. He denied the charges and the case was dropped. Later, he apologised to the alleged victim, saying: “Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognise now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did.” 

Bryant’s final tweet was in praise of one of the league’s biggest superstars, LeBron James, who passed him for third-place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list on Saturday night in Philadelphia. 

Before the Lakers’ game on Saturday night, Mr James wrote “Mamba 4 Life” and “8/24 KB” in honour of the Lakers great, knowing he was likely to surpass his scoring record during the game. Mr James heaped praise on Bryant, calling him “one of the all-time greatest basketball players to ever play”.

Basketball teams across the US and Canada mourned on Sunday. The San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors basketball teams each gave up the first possessions of their game, allowing the 24 seconds in which teams have to shoot before losing possession to pass, in honour of Bryant, who wore number 24 on his jersey. 

The Denver Nuggets held a moment of silence at their game on Sunday against the Houston Rockets in honour of Bryant. The Golden State Warriors reportedly cancelled their practice, which was going on when the news of Bryant’s death broke, to allow for players to grieve. 

There was an outpouring of grief on social media by basketball players who said they started playing because of Bryant, and from his predecessors in the league. 

“I’m stunned,” Scottie Pippen, a former Chicago Bulls champion player, tweeted. “Words can’t even come close to describing it. Just an incredibly sad and tragic day.”