NBA legend Kobe Bryant was 41
Photo from NBA.com
The world is taken by shock as news spread on the morning of Jan. 26 (Pacific Standard Time) about the passing of NBA legend Kobe Bryant. He was 41.
The retired NBA star was aboard a helicopter that crashed in Calabasas, California along with seven other passengers, including his daughter Gianna, 13. There are no further details yet about the incident.
Bryant was drafted into the NBA at the age of 17, playing an illustrious 20-year professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 to 2016. He was a five-time NBA champion, two-time NBA finals MVP, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Aside from basketball, Bryant was also an entrepreneur, author, and an Oscar winner for his animated short film “Dear Basketball.”
Update as of 11:30 a.m.: A Los Angeles Times report notes that Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, along with his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa, were among the passengers who died in the helicopter crash with Bryant.
The exact cause of the crash is still undetermined.
Update as of 5:45 p.m.: Other passengers aboard the helicopter have been identified, including assistant girls basketball coach Christina Mauser.
