UPDATE: ESPN confirms Kobe Bryant's 13-year-old daughter was among those killed when the helicopter Bryant owned crashed in California.

The sports world has been rocked after reports that former LA Lakers star Kobe Bryant was among five people killed in southern California today. Variety is reporting the NBA great was on the helicopter he owned that crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, north of Los Angeles. An earlier story published by TMZ claimed that Bryant's wife Vanessa was not on the helicopter at the time of the crash.

In recent years, Bryant often talked about his use of a helicopter. He used to commute during the later years as a player for the Lakers. There have been rumors about the identities of the other passengers, but no other confirmation has been given.

We're getting a first look at the scene north of Los Angeles.

 

This story is developing and we will update the story as more information becomes available.

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