No one expects a larger-than-life figure like Kobe Bryant to die before their time, so imagine the world's complete and utter shock when TMZ reported on January 26, 2020, that the basketball legend's private helicopter had crashed ... and that there were no survivors.
Bryant was an avid helicopter commuter who started using this novel transport method during his Los Angeles Lakers days. Unfortunately, this time something went badly wrong. According to eyewitnesses, the helicopter's engine had started "sputtering" before going down. All five people on board, including Bryant himself and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, perished in the fiery crash. Bryant was only 41 when he died.
Kobe Bryant's time on this world was far too short, and his Academy Award-winning work on the 2018 animated short Dear Basketball gave a hint that even after he left the court, he still had a lot to offer. He was survived by his wife Vanessa and their three other daughters — as well as a legacy as one of the best players in NBA history. Rest in peace, Kobe.
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