WORLD MOURNS KOBE

The world was shocked this morning on the news of the passing of the retired NBA superstar Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna in a fatal California helicopter crash that killed seven others.

It is believed there were nine people on the helicopter. He said he would not confirm who died until all next-of-kin are provided with the news.

Bryant, 41, played for 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers and is considered one of the best basketball players of all time. He won five NBA championships, was an 18-time All-Star and is fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

Bryant was born in Philadelphia and attended Lower Merion High School in the Philadelphia suburbs, where he dominated as a high school basketball player. He was drafted into the NBA immediately after graduating high school, becoming one of the youngest players in the league’s history.

As the sun set Sunday, a surreal scene unfolded outside Staples Center, location of where celebrities who had gathered for the 62nd Grammy Awards mourned alongside devastated fans who flocked to the arena where Lakers legend Kobe Bryant — who died in a helicopter crash Sunday morning — has two jerseys hanging from the rafters.

Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among several people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Sunday, a source confirmed to ESPN. Bryant was 41.