Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest basketball players of all time and an internationally recognizable NBA superstar, died in a helicopter crash Sunday outside Los Angeles. He was 41 years old.
Bryant was flying with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people when the helicopter went down “in a remote field” in Calabasas, Calif. around 10 a.m., according to the Associated Press.
All nine people aboard the helicopter were killed, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said. They were named by family and local news reports as Gianna’s basketball teammate Alyssa Altobelli, her mother, Keri, and her father, John, a baseball coach. Also killed in the crash were Christina Mauser, a school basketball assistant coach; Payton Chester, another teammate of Gianna’s, and Payton’s mother Sarah. The helicopter pilot, named in local reports as Ara Zobayan, was also killed. Bryant is survived by his wife, Vanessa Laine Bryant. They had four children together. On Wednesday night, Laine Bryant changed her Instagram profile picture to a photo of her husband sharing a tender moment with Gianna. She also posted a photo of the family and thanked the public for their support.
“My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time,” she said.
“There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved,” she added.
Source: CTV News
Saturday, April 18, 2026
