Former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria Onore, known as GiGi, were killed Sunday in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., TMZ reported.
Bryant and his daughter were flying to the Mamba Academy, near Thousand Oaks, for a basketball practice when the crash occurred, TMZ said.
ESPNs Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that two other victims were a parent and a player.
Authorities originally said that five people had died in the crash, but that number was later updated to nine.
According to the original TMZ report:
Kobe was traveling with at least 3 other people in his private helicopter when it went down. A fire broke out. Emergency personnel responded, but nobody on board survived. 5 people are confirmed dead. Were told Vanessa Bryant was not among those on board.
The NBA has eight games scheduled for Sunday, including a contest between the Nets and Knicks at Madison Square Garden at 6 p.m. Eastern. Two earlier games have started: Rockets vs. Nuggets and Raptors vs. Spurs.
In a tribute to Bryant, who wore No. 24, the Raptors and Spurs allowed the 24-second shot clock to expire intentionally after the opening tap.
The Lakers next play Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Bryant, 41, played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers after entering the NBA directly from high school. An 18-time NBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, he won five NBA championships.
Bryant retired as the NBAs third all-time leading scorer with 33,643 points, and he was expected to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on the first ballot this summer as part of a class that also includes Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.
Originally posted here:
Kobe Bryant and daughter killed: Will NBA postpone Sundays games? - NJ.com
