The tragic deaths of basketball great Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, known as Gigi, have left the world reeling in shock.
Bryant, 41, and his daughter Gianna, 13, were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday in the city of Calabasas, California.
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They were travelling in a private helicopter when it came down and burst into flames. There were no survivors.
Eyewitnesses told TMZ they heard the helicopter’s engine sputtering before it went down.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash and the LA County Sheriff’s Department said there would be a press conference.
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Although Kobe Bryant was known as one of the world’s best basketballers, the star was a family man – married to his wife Vanessa Bryant for nearly 20 years, and sharing four daughters together
Who is Kobe Bryant’s wife?
Kobe Bryant had been married to Vanessa Laine Bryant since 2001
The couple met in 1999 when Vanessa was working as a background model on a music video and were engaged just six months later.
Vanessa was aged just 17 while Kobe was 21 and had already played three seasons in the NBA.
They tied the knot in a romantic and low-key wedding in 2001.
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Did Kobe Bryant have children?
The five-time NBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist had four children named Natalia Diamante Bryant, Bianka Bella Bryant, Gianna Marie-Onore Bryant and Capri Kobe Bryant.
Kobe’s first child, a daughter, was born in January 2003. Their second daughter was born in May 2006.
In early December 2016, Vanessa gave birth to their third daughter and in January 2019 the Bryants announced they were expecting a fourth daughter.
The daughter, named after himself, was born in June 2019.
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