LOS ANGELES (AP) – Retired NBA superstar Kobe Bryant has died. A source has told The Associated Press that Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash Sunday near Calabasas, California. He was 41.
Reports also surfaced Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was aboard, and also perished.
A total of nine people were reported to have deceased in the crash.
The Sikorsky-76 helicopter was previously owned by the State of Illinois, according to online aircraft database Helis.
WGN in Chicago reported the helicopter was manufactured in 1991. Records show it was owned by the State of Illinois from 2007 until 2015 when then-Governor Bruce Rauner put the state’s fleet of aircraft up for sale in a cost-saving measure. While it was owned by the state, the luxury helicopter was used for what’s described as “VIP transport” of the governor and others.
The 18-time NBA All-Star won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career spent entirely with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bryant retired in 2016 as the third-leading scorer in NBA history. He held that spot in the league scoring ranks until Saturday night, when the Lakers’ LeBron James passed him for third place during a game in Philadelphia, Bryant’s hometown.
