Find Station
 

Derek Jeter Pens Emotional Tribute To Kobe Bryant

Former NBA superstar Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna are among nine people who died Sunday morning in a private helicopter crash near Calabasas, California.

Sources told ESPN that the 41-year-old L.A. Lakers icon and his daughter were flying to a travel basketball game where she was scheduled to play. First responders say a fire broke out at the crash site, and confirmed to the outlet that there were no survivors.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said, "We do know that there were issues of visibility,” and that the LAPD had grounded its helicopters because of weather.

Three other victims of the crash have been identified: John Altobelli, the baseball coach at Orange Coast College, his wife, Keri, and daughter, Alyssa.

Authorities have declined to identify the others on board pending notification to their families. Fans converged on the Lakers' home arena to mourn, while stars at Sunday's Grammys offered their condolences throughout the show. Former President Barack Obama, who was friends with Bryant, tweeted, "To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver added, “For 20 seasons, Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning." Bryant and his wife Vanessa had four children together: Gianna, Natalia, Bianca, and Capri.