Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Lakers passes away in a helicopter crash at the age of 41.
During his two decades as the fierce soul of the Lakers, he won the eternal admiration of Los Angeles, and he was revered by basketball fans everywhere there was a hoop and a dream, including his other childhood home of Italy and his native Philadelphia.
When his next chapter abruptly ended less than four years after he had retired, Bryant was taking on new challenges and trying to use storytelling and sports to motivate his daughters’ generation.
Bryant, an 18-time All-Star who spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers, winning five NBA titles and emerging as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, passed away in a helicopter crash on Sunday. His age was 41.
About thirty miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, in the foggy hills above Calabasas, California, happened the crash. The Associated Press was informed by a person with knowledge of the matter that Bryant had passed away, and a different source with knowledge of the case verified the death of Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna.
The two unidentified sources for the AP spoke under the condition of anonymity because not many details about the crash had been made public.
According to the authorities, all nine occupants of the helicopter were thought to be deceased. No identities were disclosed.
Bryant utilized helicopters frequently to save time and avoid the notorious traffic in Southern California. Bryant lived in coastal Orange County, south of Los Angeles. His playing career ended in 2016, and he took a helicopter to get to practices and games. After retiring, he kept using them for his new endeavors, which included a growing entertainment company that had just produced an animated short film that won an Academy Award.
