Retired basketball star Kobe Bryant has died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
Bryant was travelling with at eight other people in his private helicopter when it went down, according to multiple media sources in the US.
Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna also died in the crash, according to TMZ. They were reported en route to her basketball practise in Thousand Oaks.
Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna watch during the national championships swimming meet in 2018. Source: AAP
The Los Angeles County sheriff has confirmed nine bodies were found at the scene, but have so far refused to identify any of those on board.
Bryant, 41, was known to use a helicopter for travel dating to his days as a star player for the Los Angeles Lakers when he commuted to games in a Sikorsky S-76 chopper.
Source: Getty Images
The US Federal Aviation Administration identified the crashed helicopter as a Sikorsky S-76, saying in a statement that the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board would investigate.
Police said the helicopter had come down in steep, difficult terrain and emergency services remained on the scene.
Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, had four daughters: Gianna, Natalia, Bianca and Capri, who was born in June 2019.
