Kobe Bryant's 13yo daughter Gianna among 9 victims of California helicopter crash

The 13-year-old daughter of legendary basketball star Kobe Bryant, Gianna, was killed in the helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of her father, her teammate, and her teammate's father, as well as a pilot and four others.

Sources close to the Bryant family have told multiple outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, that Gianna was among those who died in the crash. She was also a basketball player who attended multiple NBA games with her father, who could be seen coaching her.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Office said a total of nine people perished in the crash, but they will not confirm their identities until the coroner makes a report. 

Bryant has three other daughters with his wife Vanessa, including Capri, who was born in June 2019, but none of them have been reported to be among the victims of the crash.

Bryant, who spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers, retired from basketball in 2016 after a two-decade career that saw him become a five-time NBA champion and enshrined his status in the history books as one of the sport's best-ever players.

His death has prompted an overwhelming display of emotion on social media as his fellow players, some of whom played alongside the Lakers icon, expressed their anguish at the loss of one of the game's true giants.