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Shock in the sports world: NBA legend Kobe Bryant died at the age of 41.
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Getty Images
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The former Lakers superstar crashed with a helicopter in Calabasas, California, TMZ.com reports.
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AFP
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In addition to Kobe Bryant, four other people are said to have sat in the helicopter.
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imago images / Camera 4 / JIM
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Kobe also wore the shirt of the American “Dream Team”.
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The sports world is in shock!
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Former basketball superstar Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash at the age of 41, according to American media.
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Bryant, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 to 2016, was traveling with four other people in a private helicopter when it crashed in foggy conditions in Calabasas, California.
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The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed: “An S-76 helicopter crashed near Calabasas, California this morning under unknown circumstances. Local authorities say five people were on board. The FAA is opening an investigation. »
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Daughter (13) apparently among victims
In the crash, all five people were killed in the helicopter. Wife Vanessa Bryant (37) is said not to have been on board. But, as TMZ further reports, Gianna Maria Onore (13), one of Bryant’s four daughters, is said to have lost her life.
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Bryant, nickname “Black Mamba”, ended his career four years ago as “one of the greatest players in the history of our sport”, as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver put it.
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Player of the decade
The NBA broadcaster “TNT” and the specialist journal “Sporting News” voted him the player of the decade of the 2000s. The sports channel ESPN leads him directly behind Michael Jordan as the best shooting guard in history.
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The Shooting Guard, who was born in Philadelphia, won the NBA title five times with the California team and was twice voted the most valuable player in the NBA finals.
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In 2008, the 18-time All-Star was recognized as the most valuable player of the entire season. Bryant scored 33,643 points for the Lakers – more than any other player in the team’s history.
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Court case and Oscar award
Bryant also hit the headlines for dubious reasons. In 2003, he ended up in court because a 19-year-old hotel employee accused him of sexually assaulting her. No verdict was reached – Bryant and the alleged victim reached an out-of-court settlement. Even if he was not convicted, the superstar was forced to declare himself publicly – and to apologize.
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In 2018, this story caught up with him again. When he won an Oscar in the “Animated Short Film” category for “Dear Basketball”, the outcry was great because in times of the Me Too debate it was precisely one that was awarded a prize that might have escaped sexual assault.
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Kobe Bryant leaves behind wife Vanessa, with whom he has been married since 2001, and three other daughters.
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