Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was among the nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas on Sunday morning, according to a report by TMZ that Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN confirmed. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports provided additional confirmation.
The city of Calabasas has offered the closest thing to an official confirmation, tweeting that Bryant was among the dead in the crash. The LA County Sheriffs Department has confirmed the crash, but not who is among the deceased. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Bryant was 41 years old.
UPDATE, 12: 56 p.m.: Bryant’s oldest daughter, Gianna Marie, was also involved in the crash, according to a report by TMZ, which included a confirmation by Bryant’s representatives. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN provided more details on the crash and who was involved
Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the NBA has emailed its employees to confirm that Bryant and his daughter Gianna were involved in the crash.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available