>>>
>>> WE
>>> WE ARE FOLLOWING BREAKING NEWS TONIGHT, THE NATION IS MOURNING THE DEATH OF AN ICON.
NBA LEGEND KOBE BRYANT HAS DIED
IN A HELICOPTER CRASH IN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
>> KOBE!
KOBE!
>> TODAY IS REALLY A TOUGH DAY.
>> BRYANT SPENT HIS ENTIRE 20
YEAR CAREER WITH THE LAKERS, A
LOYAL LEGEND, AND TRIBUTES
POURING IN FROM ACROSS THE
COUNTRY TONIGHT.
FANS ARE HEARTBROKEN, EVERYONE
SHOCKED.
THIS SPORTS STAR WAS TAKEN SO
SOON.
WE ARE FOLLOWING THIS AS
BREAKING NEWS BECAUSE THE
HELICOPTER CRASH HAPPENED EARLY
THIS MORNING MY TRAVELING ON A
PRIVATE HELICOPTER.
>> TALK ABOUT A SAD DAY INDEED.
KOBE BRYANT WAS JUST 41 YEARS
OLD.
WE WANT TO SHOW YOU A LIVE LOOK
NOW, LOOK AT THAT CROWD OUTSIDE
THE STAPLES CENTER IN LOS
ANGELES.
IT HAS BEEN GROWING FOR HOURS
TONIGHT.
AS YOU JUST HEARD THEY WERE
CHANTING KOBE'S NAME.
KEEP IN MIND THE GRAMMY AWARDS
ARE TONIGHT INSIDE THE STAPLES
CENTER BUT HUNDREDS, IF NOT
THOUSANDS OF FANS ARE NOW
SURROUNDING A MEMORIAL FILLED
WITH CANDLES AND FLOWERS.
>> NO ONE EXPECTED SOMETHING
LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN.
HIS HELICOPTER WENT DOWN AROUND
10 THIS MORNING.
WE KNOW 9 PEOPLE WERE ON BOARD.
TAKE A LOOK AT THE CRASH SITE
THEY ARE.
INCLUDING KOBE BRYANT AND HIS
13-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER GIANNA.
ALL NINE PEOPLE ON BOARD DID
NOT SURVIVE.
ORANGE COAST COLLEGE SAYS THE
HEAD BASEBALL COACH, JOHN
ALTOBELLI WAS ONE OF THE
VICTIMS.
HE WAS AT THE SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
FOR 27 YEARS, ABOUT TO START
HIS 28th SEASON.
WE ARE WORKING TO LEARN THE
NAMES OF THE OTHERS INVOLVED.
>> THE HELICOPTER CRASHED INTO
A STEEP HILLSIDE IN CALABASAS,
ABOUT 20 MILES WEST OF LA.
WITNESSES SAW THE HELICOPTER IN
DISTRESS MOMENTS BEFORE THE
CRASH.
INVESTIGATORS FROM THE NTSB AND
FAA ARE ON THEIR WAY TO LA TO
FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
MEANWHILE THIS LOSS IS BEING
FELT ACROSS THE NATION TONIGHT,
INCLUDING HERE IN SACRAMENTO.
>> THE NBA'S GENERAL MANAGER
POSTED THIS AND INSTAGRAM
SAYING KOBE DEEPLY LOVE THE
GAME AND HIS FAMILY.
AS I THINK BACK ON HIS
INCREDIBLE LEGACY I'M REMINDED
OF HIS COMPETITIVE SPIRIT AND
THE MILLIONS AROUND THE WORLD
HE INSPIRED.
AS FATHER, THE LOSS OF GIANNA
IS DEVASTATING, MY HEART GOES
OUT TO VANESSA, HIS WIFE, THEIR
DAUGHTERS AND ALL'S IMPACTED.
>> THEY SAID KOBE IS ONE OF THE
GREATEST COMPETITORS THE NBA
HAS EVER KNOWN, HIS COMMITMENT
TO THE GAME IS REVERED BY FANS
AROUND THE GLOBE.
HE INSPIRED A GENERATION ON AND
OFF THE COURT TO STRIVE FOR
GREATNESS AND HIS COUNTLESS
CONTRIBUTIONS TO BASKETBALL
LIVE ON.
WE WILL FOREVER REMEMBER THE
MUTUAL RESPECT SHARED BETWEEN
KOBE AND SACRAMENTO BEHALF OF
THE ENTIRE KINGS ORGANIZATION
WE EXTEND OUR DEEPEST
CONDOLENCES TO HIS WIFE
VANESSA, THEIR FAMILY AND ALL
THOSE IMPACTED AS WE HOLD THEM
IN OUR HEARTS AND PRAYERS AT
THIS MOST DIFFICULT TIME.
>> TAKING A LIVE LOOK AT THE
GOLDEN 1 CENTER, HOME OF THE
SACRAMENTO KINGS, GIACOMO LUCA
TALK TO FANS THERE TODAY.
>>
>> Reporter: BASKETBALL FANS AND EVEN THOSE WHO AREN'T ARE REELING OVER THE LOSS OF KOBE
BRYANT TODAY.
HE WAS CONSIDERED A NEMESIS TO
THE SACRAMENTO KINGS BUT WAS
HIGHLY RESPECTED FOR HIS
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GAME OF
BASKETBALL.
HERE IS WHAT HE SAID DURING HIS
LAST GAME HERE IN SACRAMENTO.
>> DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM I
LOOKED UP IN THE RAFTERS AND SO
THE JERSEYS OF PLAYERS THAT I
WAS RIVALS WITH, AND I'M
LOOKING UP THERE AND I'M GOING
IT FEELS LIKE YESTERDAY I WAS
JUST PLAYING AGAINST THEM AND
THE NUMBERS ARE RETIRED, WHAT
THE AM I STILL DOING HERE ?
>> JUST HOURS AFTER HIS DEATH
IN A HELICOPTER CRASH, THE
GOLDEN 1 CENTER ADORNS A
MEMORIAL FOR THE FORMER LA
LAKERS PLAYER.
FANS HERE ARE STUNNED BY THE
LOSS OF RYAN, A RETIRED PLAYER
BUT AT 41 YEARS OLD FANS SAY
HIS WORK HERE ON EARTH WASN'T
FINISHED.
>> KOBE WAS JUST A TRANSCENDENT
FIGURE, NOT ONLY IN SPORTS BUT
LIFE.
HE WAS BIGGER THAN BASKETBALL.
HE SHOWED WHAT TRUE BRAVERY AND
HARD-WORKING GET YOU.
HE WAS MOTIVATING AS A FIGURE,
AND HE SHOWED YOU THAT YOU CAN
WORK FOR ANYTHING IN LIFE.
>> HE WAS NOBODY I LIKE HIM I
HATED HIM AS A PLAYER BUT I
RESPECT HIS GAME, I RESPECT
WHAT HE DID.
I CANNOT BELIEVE THE NEWS TODAY
TO KNOW THAT HE IS GONE.>> I
HEARD ABOUT IT ON FACEBOOK
UNFORTUNATELY AND NOT IN PERSON
OR ANYTHING, IT HIT PRETTY
HARD.
MY WHOLE FAMILY TOOK A PRETTY
HARD, EVERY GAME THAT HE PLAYED
WE WERE THERE SUPPORTING, AND
TO HEAR THAT IT WAS SOMETHING
LIKE A HELICOPTER CRASH, IT IS
HARD TO TAKE.
>> ONE KOBE BRYANT FAN TELLS ME
THAT HIS WORK TRANSCENDED THE
GAME OF BASKETBALL AND HE WILL
BE DEARLY MISSED.
>> KOBE AND HIS FAMILY SUPPORT
SPORTS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
LEAGUES AND TEAMS, INCLUDING
RIGHT HERE IN NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA.
TAKE A LOOK, HE AND HIS WIFE
VANESSA DONATED $5000 TO
ROSEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS
BASKETBALL TEAM.
A FRESHMAN PLAYER THERE WAS THE
ONE WHO REACHED OUT AND ASKED
FOR HIS HELP.
THE TEAM IS GATHERING TONIGHT
AT THE SCHOOL TO REMEMBER
KOBE'S LIFE.
WE WILL HAVE AN UPDATE FROM
THEIR AT 6:30.
JUST ONE OF SO MANY SCHOOLS AND
NONPROFITS THAT BRYANT SUPPORTED
IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
>> HE WAS A TRUE ICON.
I WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT SOME
OF THE MESSAGES COMING IN
TONIGHT ABOUT THIS TRAGEDY.
>> IT'S BEEN ABSOLUTELY
BEAUTIFUL, CAN'T BELIEVE IT CAME
TO AN END.
>> HE RETIRED AS THE NBA'S ALL-
TIME SCORER, AND THERE IS AN
OUTPOURING OF CONDOLENCES AND
TRIBUTES AS THE DEATH OF KOBE
BRYANT IS MOURNED.
FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
NOTED THAT KOBE WAS A LEGEND ON
THE COURT AND JUST GETTING
STARTED IN WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN
JUST AS MEANINGFUL A SECOND
ACT.
TO LOOSE HIS DAUGHTER GIANNA IS
EVEN MORE HEARTBREAKING TO US
AS PARENTS.
MICHELLE AND I AND LOVE AND
PRAYERS TO VANESSA AND THE
ENTIRE BRYANT FAMILY ON AN
UNTHINKABLE DAY.
CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM
DECLARED TODAY THAT THE WORLD
LOST A LEGEND SAYING HE WILLED
HIS TEAM TO TRIUMPHS, COMPETED
WITH UNPARALLELED FEROCITY AND
DEFIED THE ODDS. SIMPLY PUT, HE
WAS AN ICON.
THE NBA COMMISSIONER: KOBE
BRYANT ONE OF THE MOST
EXTRAORDINARY PLAYERS IN THE
HISTORY OF OUR GAME.
WITH ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT ARE
LEGENDARY.
FIVE NBA CHAMPIONSHIPS, AND NBA
MVP AWARD, 18 NBA ALL-STAR
SELECTIONS AND TWO OLYMPIC GOLD
MEDALS.
AND THAT IS NOT ALL.
>> THIS IS THE FIRST OSCAR
NOMINATION FOR KOBE BRYANT.
>> THE BASKETBALL LEGEND ALSO
HAD AN OSCAR TO GO ALONG WITH
HIS FIVE NBA CHAMPIONSHIPS.
HE WON FOR HIS ANIMATED SHORT
DEAR BASKETBALL, BASED ON A
LETTER BRYANT WROTE ANNOUNCING
HIS RETIREMENT FROM BASKETBALL.
>> FROM THE MOMENT I STARTED
ROLLING MY DADS TUBE SOCKS, AND
SHOOTING IMAGINARY GAME-WINNING
SHOTS IN THE GREAT WESTERN
FORM, I KNEW ONE THING WAS
REAL, I FELL IN LOVE WITH YOU.
>> THAT IS THE CORE OF THE FILM
ITSELF, STARTED WITH A DREAM,
WORKING TO GET TO THAT DREAM,
ACCOMPLISHING THAT DREAM, AND
NOW WHAT DO YOU DO?
YOU GOT TO BE ABLE TO LET GO
AND MOVE ON.
I NEVER SAW THE END OF THE
TUNNEL.
I ONLY SAW MYSELF RUNNING OUT
OF THEM.
>> THAT IS PRECISELY HOW HE
WILL BE REMEMBERED.
THE WORLD WILL NEVER FORGET
THIS LOVING FATHER, HUSBAND AND
EXEMPLARY ATHLETE.
>> YOU GUYS WILL ALWAYS BE IN
MY HEART, WHAT CAN I SAY,
MOTHER OUT.
>> SO HARD TO SEE THAT CLIP OF
HIS FAMILY STANDING RIGHT
THERE.