Kobe Bryant & Daughter GiGi
Kobe Bryant was traveling with at least 3 other people in his private helicopter when it went down. A fire broke out. Emergency personnel responded, but nobody on board survived. 5 people are confirmed dead. We’re told Vanessa Bryant was not among those on board.
From -TMZ .. Officials say they have recovered three bodies from the crash site — but have not specified on the IDs of those bodies. Officials worked well into the night on Sunday but had to suspend the search due to darkness and safety concerns. The search resumed Monday morning. No word on if any other bodies have recovered in Monday’s search.
At one point, Kobe Bryant was seen giving his kid some tips. It’s unclear if he’s the head coach of her current squad or not, but he was definitely in coaching mode from what we can tell. We know he’s coached other teams she was on in the past. Kobe said Gianna had aspirations to be in the WNBA, and by all accounts … she was well on her way to getting there.
One thing that’s pretty obvious from this snapshot moment is that they were both fierce competitors and loved the game they played.
Michael Jordan has spoken on Kobe’s death, saying … “I am in shock over the tragic news of Kobe’s and Gianna’s passing. Words can’t describe the pain I’m feeling. I loved Kobe — he was like a little brother to me. We used to talk often, and I will miss those conversations very much.
The players, coaches and families at the Mamba Academy were obviously emotional when they heard the news about Kobe’s death … but came together for a moment of silence and prayer.
Kobe Bryant, despite being one of the truly great basketball players of all time, was just getting started in life. He loved his family so much, and had such strong passion for the future. The loss of his beautiful daughter, Gianna, makes this moment even more devastating….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2020
Kobe’s daughter, Gianna Maria Onore — aka GiGi — was also on board the helicopter and died in the crash … reps for Kobe tell TMZ Sports. She was 13.
Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas Sunday morning
Kobe was traveling with at least 3 other people in his private helicopter when it went down. A fire broke out. Emergency personnel responded, but nobody on board survived. 5 people are confirmed dead. We’re told Vanessa Bryant was not among those on board.
KB is survived by his wife, Vanessa. Together, they have four daughters — Gianna, Natalia and Bianca and their newborn, Capri. Kobe and Vanessa got married in 2001 after meeting in 1999.
A memorial to Kobe has already sprung up outside of Staples Center, where Kobe played for years.
Kobe Bryant has recently been spotted out at NBA games with his daughter, Gianna — a rising star basketball player herself. Their youngest daughter, Capri, was just born in June 2019.
Celebrities from all over the world and all parts of entertainment are paying tribute to Kobe on social media. Tom Brady, President Trump, Dwyane Wade and more.
