Basketball Legend, Kobe Bryant And Daughter Die In Fiery Helicopter Crash

Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed along with and seven others in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Sunday morning.   

The 41-year-old former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star's private Sikorsky S-76 struck a hillside amid heavy fog and immediately caught fire at around 10am.  

Officials with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene near Las Virgenes Rd and Willow Glen St in Calabasas after a group of mountain bikers spotted the smoke. 

Initial reports claimed five had been killed, but the death toll was raised to nine - including the pilot - at a press conference Sunday night.  

The cause of the crash is under investigation. Witnesses reported hearing the helicopter's engine sputtering before it went down near the home of Kourtney Kardashian.