Kobe Bryant, daughter Gianna among 9 dead in helicopter crash

LOS ANGELES: Millions of people never met him, but the sudden death of Kobe Bryant and eight others has left a country in mourning.

The 41-year-old NBA legend died Sunday morning in a helicopter crash in foggy conditions in Calabasas, California. Visibility was so low on Sunday morning that Los Angeles police had grounded its helicopters, spokesman Josh Rubenstein said.

As fans around the world grapple with Bryant’s death, investigators are struggling to find clues in difficult conditions.

The effort to recover the victims’ bodies has started but could take a couple of days.

Bryant was traveling to a basketball game with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, who was scheduled to play on Sunday afternoon.

With them was Orange Coast College (OCC) baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri and his daughter, Alyssa, Altobelli’s brother said. Alyssa was Gianna’s teammate, OCC assistant coach Ron La Ruffa said. Altobelli would routinely travel with his daughter for games, La Ruffa said.

The victims also included Christina Mauser, an assistant girls’ basketball coach for a private school in Corona del Mar, California.

Kobe Bean Bryant was many things: one of the greatest players in basketball history, a five-time NBA champion, Olympic gold medalist, a fluent speaker of multiple languages, a resident of the world, an Oscar winner, the self-described Black Mamba that started as a nickname and became his brand, someone so good he had two numbers retired by the Los Angeles Lakers.

And he never stopped. Basketball was his obsession for 20 years in the NBA. Storytelling was the obsession for the rest of his life.

Meanwhile, heartbroken fans have been pouring into the areas surrounding the site, sending condolences on social media and paying tribute to Bryant, who first made history when he became the youngest player in NBA history.

In Sunday’s news conference, Villanueva said officers had to be deployed to keep crowds away from the residential community near the crash site and “we have to reiterate it is off-limits to everybody.”

Born in Philadelphia, Bryant quickly grew to become one of basketball’s greatest champions. He played his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers and won five NBA championships, before retiring in April 2016 after scoring 60 points in his final game.

Former Lakers Coach Phil Jackson called the player a “chosen one — special in many ways to many people.”

“Our relationship as coach/player transcended the norm. He went beyond the veil,” Jackson said.

Bryant leaves behind his wife, Vanessa, and three daughters — the youngest of which was born in June.

Black Mamba was just getting started. And now he’s gone. The tributes will continue, though eventually fade away. The legacy will be forever.