NBA
legend, Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and seven others have died in a helicopter crash that
occurred on Sunday in Southern California. The NBA Commissioner Adam Silver
confirmed the death of the basketball icon aged 41, and that of his first
daughter Gianna who was just 13 years old, in a statement on Sunday.
“The entire NBA family is devastated by the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna,” Silver stated.
“Kobe
showed us – for 20 seasons – what is possible when remarkable talent blends
perfectly with absolute devotion to winning. He was an extraordinary players in
the history of the net game with truly legendary accomplishments: 5 NBA
championships, 18 NBA All-Star selections, and an NBA MVP award, as well as 2
gold medals.
“But
Kobe will be remembered most for inspiring a lot of people around the world to
pick up a basketball and go out to compete to the very best of their ability. He
was very generous with the wisdom he acquired and it became his mission to
share that wisdom with future generations of players, taking special delight in
passing down his love for the game to his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.
“We send our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Vanessa, and their family, the entire Lakers organization, and the entire sports world.”
L.A. County Sheriff Confirms Number of
Passengers on Board the Chopper
According
to Sheriff Alex Villanueva, the LA County sheriff, the passenger manifest for
the chopper indicated 9 people were on board. No one survived the crash.
Villanueva
has declined to confirm the identities of the other passengers in the ill-fated
helicopter, saying he would need to wait for reports from the coroner.
“It is entirely inappropriate right now to identify the identity of anyone by name,” said Villanueva in an afternoon news conference.
Gianna Confirmed as One of the Passengers on
the Helicopter
Someone
who had good knowledge of the situation has confirmed that that Gianna, Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter who is also a budding basketball player herself, was also
killed in the helicopter crash.
The
source, who spoke on ly on condition of anonymity since they were not
officially authorized to talk about the situation, stated that Kobe and his
daughter were en route to an AAU basketball game scheduled for Sunday morning
when the helicopter crashed.
Fire
Captain Tony Imbrenda stated that firefighters had to be called in hastily to
douse the quarter-acre brush fire that started when the crashed helicopter
burst into flames.
The
fire captain who spoke shortly after the helicopter crash has said that an
investigation to find out the cause of the crash has begun in earnest. The
helicopter model has been identified as a Sikorsky S-76.
According
to Imbrenda, a fire broke out as soon as the helicopter had an impact in the
hills of Calabasas, California which is approximately 30 miles northwest of
downtown Los Angeles.
Both
the National Transportation Safety Board as well as the Federal Aviation
Administration, has stated that they would investigate the crash in order to prevent
future occurrence.
The
Weather Channel reported fog in the area near the period of the helicopter
crash, and this fact was corroborated by the footage of the crash site which
showed overcast skies.
Kobe: No Stranger to Helicopter Travel
When
Kobe was at the top of his game with the Los Angeles Lakers, it was common for
him to travel by helicopter from his Orange County, California home to Lakers
games that held at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.
Travelling
by air helped him to avoid two-hour travel times through notorious traffic
while keeping his body fresh.
