The world mourns the legendary basketball player Kobe Bryant

On January 26, the world was shocked by terrible news: 41-year-old NBA champion Kobe Bryant died in a plane crash. Together with him on board the Sikorsky S-76 Spirit helicopter was his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and 7 other passengers. Unfortunately, no one managed to survive. The crash occurred in California, in the hills of Las Virgins Canyon. Find out the details of the tragedy from our material.NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his eldest daughter Gianna died in a plane crash. Their helicopter crashed in California due to thick fog. They were on their way to basketball practice.

The aircraft crashed around 10 a.m. under circumstances that forced the Los Angeles Police to land their helicopters.

Bryant became famous at the age of 18 and played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 years. During this time, he became the NBA champion five times.

The death of a player nicknamed Black Mamba came as a shock to the NBA and shocked fans around the world.

He is survived by his wife Vanessa and daughters Natalia, Bianca and Capri, born in June 2019.

Pilot Ara Zobayan was trying to turn the helicopter when the ship crashed in the hills of Las Virgins Canyon. He made contact with traffic control, circling over Burbank, California, for 15 minutes. A few seconds before the crash, the operator reported that the helicopter was too low and lost contact with the crew.

9 people were killed in the crash, including Orange Coast College basketball coach John Altobelli with his wife Keri and daughter Alissa. Other victims included Christina Mauser, Bryant's assistant who coached the youth team, Sarah Chester and her daughter Peyton, who played with Gianna.

Michael Jordan was shocked by the news of Kobe's death. He expressed his condolences and sorrow over the loss of his "younger brother" and "wonderful father." Shaquille O'Neal, who played with Bryant on the same team for a long time, said he was speechless after hearing the sad news. The champion is completely overwhelmed by the terrible tragedy that happened to his comrade.

Former US President Barack Obama mourns the loss of one of the best NBA players and his daughter. He called him a "legend" and expressed his condolences to the deceased's wife, Vanessa, and his entire family. Kobe Bryant is called one of the most outstanding players in the history of basketball.

Champion fans are grieving all over the world. They bring flowers, fan art, posters and photos to the Staples Center sports complex in Los Angeles.

League players honored the memory of Black Mamba by writing his name on sneakers.

Bryant was very fond of his daughter Gianna, who was as passionate a basketball player as her father. The girl showed great hopes and could become a sports star. She planned to build a career in the NBA women's league.

Kobi often took Gianna and her teammates to professional games, giving advice during certain combinations and situations.The basketball player often used a helicopter to avoid wasting time in traffic jams on the roads of Los Angeles. On the fateful day, he set off on the Sikorsky S-76 Spirit aircraft at 8:29 from Long Beach. After 8 minutes, the helicopter landed to receive other passengers, and 30 minutes later it went on its last flight.

The pilot was trying to deploy the helicopter at an altitude of 518 meters above the hills, near the house of Kourtney Kardashian. The place where the Sikorsky S-76 crashed is difficult to reach even in the daytime. People tried to get there, but rescuers deployed them because of the danger of the territory.

Kobe Bryant played for 20 years on the same team, the Los Angeles Lakers, and led them to victory in five NBA championships. He joined the association immediately after graduation and played as an attacking defender. In 2016, he finished his career as a professional player.The athlete became the first basketball player to receive the title of NBA champion and Oscar in 2018. He received a prestigious film award for the short animated film "Dear Basketball" (Dear Basketball), the script for which he wrote personally.

Recently, another sad case involving a basketball star occurred in the USA. Former athlete Delonte West, fortunately, turned out to be alive, but turned from the best player in the NBA into a ragged bum.