Kobe Bryant, one of the most famous basketball players was killed in a helicopter crash (直升机坠毁)in California, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people. Bryant was on his way to attend a youth basketball competition with his daughter. Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, had four daughters.
The cause of the crash is unknown until now. The helicopter carrying Bryant and the others crashed into a hilly area in bad weather conditions outside Los Angeles. Bryant lived in south of Los Angeles and often used helicopters to travel around the area to save time and avoid Southern California traffic.
Bryant was 41 years old. He was an 18-time All-Star player. He won five NBA championships (总冠军)and two Olympic gold medals. He was widely considered one of the greatest basketball players during his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. When he finished his last game in NBA in 2016, Bryant was the third-leading scorer in NBA history with 33,643 points. He is widely expected to be chosen to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (奈史密斯篮球名人纪念堂)this year.
The basketball world and the Los Angeles community felt terribly sorry for the loss of this super star. NBA Commissioner (，总裁)Adam Silver said Bryant was one of the greatest stars in the game. But he added, he will be remembered most for inspiring people around the world to pick up a basketball and compete to the very best of their ability.
