Kobe Bryant dies at 41 after a helicopter crash

The former American basketball player Kobe Bryant has died this Sunday at age 41 in a helicopter crash in the Calabasas area, near Los Angeles (California), according to the porter TMZ Sports.

Kobe Bryant was traveling with at least four other people in his private helicopter when he rushed to the ground and was engulfed in flames.

Emergency personnel went to the scene of the incident and confirmed that there were no survivors. As TMZ Sports adds, neither his wife, Vanessa Bryant, nor their children were on the ship.

As the portal adds, eyewitnesses saw the helicopter's engine make a strange sound before it hit the ground. The cause of the accident is being investigated.

The former Los Angeles Lakers player regularly used his private Sikorsky S-76 helicopter to get around. Bryant was married to Vanessa and had four daughters: Gianna, Natalia, Bianca and the newborn Capri.

Kobe is considered one of the best NBA players of all time, as he has been part of the star team 18 times during his 20-year career with the Lakers.

He was elected in the first round of the 1996 draft and won five NBA rings, two most valuable player (MVP) awards from the NBA finals and was the league's MVP in 2008.

The Lakers withdrew Kobe's two shirts, number 8 and 24. He is the only player in the history of the Angelian team that has received that honor.