{"id":339266,"date":"2020-01-26T12:15:05","date_gmt":"2020-01-26T20:15:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/?p=339266"},"modified":"2022-02-04T15:50:25","modified_gmt":"2022-02-04T23:50:25","slug":"mma-community-reacts-to-tragic-kobe-bryant-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/mma-news\/ufc\/mma-community-reacts-to-tragic-kobe-bryant-death\/","title":{"rendered":"MMA Community reacts to tragic Kobe Bryant death"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, TMZ<\/a> announced the news that NBA legend Kobe Bryant had passed away in a helicopter crash.<\/p>\n

The former professional basketball player died on Sunday morning in a helicopter incident in Calabasas, Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Bryant was travelling with at least 3 other people when the private helicopter began to go down. A fire broke out on board and emergency services were called but nobody survived. 5 individuals are currently confirmed dead.<\/p>\n

Kobe’s wife Vanessa Bryant was reportedly not on the helicopter. However, his daughter Gianna Bryant was a confirmed passenger<\/a> and died on-board. She was a rising basketball star in her own right and was travelling to the Mamba Academy for basketball practice when the crash happened. Gianna Bryant passed away at just 13 years old. According to sources<\/a>, another player and parent were also on the helicopter during the crash.<\/p>\n

The 41-year old is widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Kobe made the 18 man All-star team in 1996 and accomplished five NBA championships wins during his 20-year career. He also accomplished 2 NBA Finals MVPs and was the league MVP in 2008.<\/p>\n

The basketball player lead the league in scoring for two seasons and was on all 15 All-NBA teams and 13 All-Defensive Teams. He ranks fourth in the NBA for all-time postseason scoring and all-time regular-season scoring.<\/p>\n

The veteran athlete was a frequent flyer and used the helicopter for many years, dating back to his time in the Lakers. Kobe would use his helicopter to commute from Newport Beach in California to the Staples Center in his Sikorsky S-76 chopper.<\/p>\n

Eyewitness accounts report the helicopter engine sputtering before it crashed. The tragic event is currently under investigation.<\/p>\n

<\/section>\n

The MMA community reacted to the tragic news including UFC president Dana White,<\/a> Michael Bisping and Jorge Masvidal. See their reactions below:<\/p>\n

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A million apologies and condolences we just lost a super athlete #ripKobe<\/a><\/p>\n

— Jorge Masvidal UFC (@GamebredFighter) January 26, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n