Kobe Bryant, 41, Dead In Helicopter CrashIn Calabasas Along With Daughter &7 Others

Kobe Bryant died at the age of 41 in a helicopter crash that happened in Calabasas, CA on the morning of Jan. 26.

UPDATE: (1/26/20, 9:40 pm ET) —  Four other passengers who perished in the crash have been identified, at this time. Christina Mauser, an assistant girls basketball coach at at Harbor Day School in Corona Del Mar, California, has been dead by her husband Matt Mauser, via Facebook. Oange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, 56, his daughter Alyssa Altobelli and wife Keri Altobelli were ALSO aboard the helicopter with Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, according to CNN.

UPDATE: (1/26/20, 6:15 pm ET) — NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed the news of Kobe’s passing with the following statement:

“The NBA family is devastated by the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna.

“For 20 seasons, Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning. He was one of the most extraordinary players in the history of our game with accomplishments that are legendary…But he will be remembered most for inspiring people around the world to pick up a basketball and compete to the very best of their ability. He was generous with the wisdom he acquired and saw it as his mission to share it with future generations of players, taking special delight in passing down his love of the game to Gianna.”

UPDATE: (1/26/20, 5:40 pm ET) — John Altobelli, a baseball coach at Orange Coast College, was another passenger who died in the crash, TMZ Sports reports. The Sheriff also confirmed that nine people died in total during the crash — the pilot plus eight passengers.

UPDATE: (1/26/20, 4:10 pm ET) — Kobe’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was on the helicopter with Kobe when it crashed and has also been confirmed dead by Kobe’s reps, TMZ Sports reported. They were apparently on their way to the Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks, CA for a basketball practice when the crash occurred.

Kobe Bryant, 41, died after a helicopter he was on crashed in Calabasas, CA on the morning of Jan. 26, the city of Calabasas confirmed on Twitter. The professional basketball player was traveling with at least three other people on the private chopper, which belonged to him, when it went down and a fire broke out. Although emergency personnel responded to the scene, sadly none of the people on board survived, the outlet reported. There are five people confirmed dead. Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, 37, was reportedly not on board at the time of the crash. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Although the helicopter crash that took Kobe’s life is heartbreaking, this isn’t the first time the former Los Angeles Lakers player has used a helicopter as a way of traveling. He was known for riding in helicopters for years, including times when he would travel in his Sikorsky S-76 chopper from Newport Beach, CA to the STAPLES Center in downtown Los Angeles to play in the Lakers games.