LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant, 41, the legendary basketball star who spent 20 years with the Lakers, was killed Sunday morning when the helicopter he was traveling in crashed amid foggy conditions and burst into flames in the hills above Calabasas. His daughter Gianna, 13, was also on board, NBA authorities confirmed.
The fog was severe enough Sunday morning that the Los Angeles Police Department’s Air Support Division grounded its helicopters and didn’t fly until later in the afternoon, department spokesman confirmed and further saying The crash was more likely caused by bad weather than engine or mechanical issues, he said. “The likelihood of a catastrophic twin engine failure on that aircraft — it just doesn’t happen,
“Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act,” former President Obama tweeted. “To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents. Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable day.”
Fans gathered across the L.A city to mourn. Outside Staples Center and at L.A. Live, a sea of purple orchids and yellow chrysanthemums formed. Among the crowd packed along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a pattern emerged: purple and yellow and white; 24 and 8 on people’s chests; “BRYANT” emblazoned across their backs.
At the intersection of Hollywood and Highland in Hollywood, a dance crew asked people in the crowd to yell out where they were visiting from — Argentina, Korea, India. “I love you, Black Mamba!” one man shouted.
The ones who couldn’t get to L.A. landmarks mourned online. Some left basketballs outside their homes and posted photos on social media, offering Kobe and Gianna a ball in case they want to play a pickup game in heaven.
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