Kobe Bryant’s Daughter Gianna Killed With Father In Helicopter Crash

Gianna Bryant, the 13-year-old daughter of NBA great Kobe Bryant, was killed alongside her father in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed the news. 

The NBA, Silver said in a statement, was “devastated by the tragic passing” of Bryant and his daughter.

Gianna was traveling with her father when the helicopter went down in Calabasas, in Los Angeles County, TMZ first reported. Nine people were on board the aircraft, state officials said. There were no survivors.

The identities of the other crash victims have not yet been confirmed.

Gianna was Bryant’s second-oldest child. His oldest daughter, Natalia, turned 17 earlier this month; Bianka is 3; and his youngest daughter, Capri, was born in June of last year.

Gianna shared her father’s love of basketball and was “hellbent” on one day playing for the University of Connecticut, the Hartford Courant reported in 2018. 

“She watches their interviews, watches how they play and learns — not just in wins, but in tough losses, how they conduct themselves,” her father told the Courant. “It’s great, as a parent, to be able to see my daughter pull inspiration from them.”

A video that circulated after news of their deaths broke on Sunday showed Gianna and her dad sitting courtside at a recent NBA game, chatting and laughing. The duo were “breaking down the game,” ESPN tweeted at the time.

Bryant’s Instagram account showcased himself as a proud family man, and he shared numerous photos that included his wife, Vanessa Bryant, and their children.

Former President Barack Obama was among those expressing his condolences to Bryant’s family on Twitter while highlighting the particular heartbreak of losing a child.

“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,” he tweeted.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.