Former NBA superstar Kobe Bryant whose international stardom transcended basketball was killed in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles on Sunday. He was 41.
image copyright metro.co.ku
Bryant rocketed to fame as an 18-year-old and played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 years, 18 of them as an All-Star, and winning five NBA championships. His death sent shockwaves around the world.
"This is not just a Los Angeles phenomenon, not just a basketball phenomenon or even just a US phenomenon," said Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds, reporting from the scene of the crash in Calabasas, California.
"Kobe Bryant was known from Beijing to Berlin and beyond. He was an incredibly charismatic figure who people identified with so I think not only will people in LA and California be mourning but people all around the world will be feeling some grief in their heart tonight."
The helicopter crashed around 10am (18:00 GMT) in hilly terrain about 6km (40 miles) northwest of central Los Angeles, officials said. A witness told Al Jazeera that she heard two bangs and a loud explosion.
"There were no survivors. We have a manifest that indicates there were nine people on board the aircraft, the pilot plus eight individuals," Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told a news conference, declining to identify any victims.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that Bryant and one of his four daughters, 13-year-old Gianna, were among those killed and sent condolences to Bryant's wife, Vanessa.
"He was one of the most extraordinary players in the history of our game with accomplishments that are legendary," Silver said.
Bryant was known to use a helicopter for travel dating to his days as a star player.
The US Federal Aviation Administration identified the crashed helicopter as a Sikorsky S-76, saying in a statement the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board would investigate.
