Lakers great Kobe Bryant reportedly killed in helicopter crash


Former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was reportedly killed in a helicopter crash in the Los Angeles area. He was 41.
TMZ initially broke the news, and ESPN and The Los Angeles Times have since confirmed, though details are still limited. The helicopter was reportedly over the suburb of Calabasas when it crashed around 10 a.m. P.T., and a tweet by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's office confirmed there were no survivors among the five people on board. The identities of the four people besides Bryant have not been confirmed. No homes or bystanders were reportedly affected by the crash.
Bryant, who played all 20 seasons of his career with Los Angeles before retiring in 2016, is considered one of the greatest players to ever suit up in the NBA. Just one day ago, the Lakers' current star LeBron James passed Bryant for third on the all-time scoring list while paying tribute to Bryant with an inscription on his shoes. Afterward, Bryant congratulated James on the milestone. Read more at ESPN.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
NFL gets ESPN stake in deal with Disney
Speed Read The deal gives the NFL a 10% stake in Disney's ESPN sports empire and gives ESPN ownership of NFL Network
-
House committee subpoenas Epstein files
Speed Read The House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for its Jeffrey Epstein files with an Aug. 19 deadline
-
'America is becoming a nation of homebodies'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read