CALABASAS, California (WCMH) — NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were on their way to a travel league basketball game when the helicopter they were traveling in crashed, killing all nine people on board.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted:
“Sources: Kobe Bryant was on his way to a travel basketball game with his daughter Gianna when the helicopter crashed. Those aboard the helicopter also included another player and parent.”
The Los Angeles Times has also confirmed Gianna was on board.
According to the Today Show, Gianna’s love and passion for basketball reignited Bryant’s love for the sport that made him a household name.
Since he retired in 2016, Bryant said he hadn’t watched many NBA games.
That includes one just last month, when he and Gianna attended the game between the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 21. In a video that has since gone viral, Bryant appears to be teaching his daughter some of the finer points of the game.
Bryant and his daughter were reportedly on their way to the Kobe Bryant Tournament in Calabasas.
A youth team from Fresno’s Tenaya Middle School was playing in the tournament when they received the news and canceled the games.
(Photos by GoTourney)
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva provided the updated death toll at a news conference Sunday.
Initial reports indicated that Bryant was among five people killed in the crash.
At the news conference, authorities also described the fiery wreckage and scene that was difficult to access after the crash at 10 a.m.