Basketball Legend Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna Die in Helicopter Crash in Calabasas 

Los Angeles - Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant died in a helicopter crash in California, according to a report by TMZ. 

Los Angeles Lakers legend died, at 41 years old after the aircraft came down in California on Sunday morning, the City of Calabasas said in a tweet.

TMZ reported that Kobe was traveling with at least 3 other people in his private helicopter when it went down. A fire broke out. Emergency personnel responded, but nobody on board survived. 5 people are confirmed dead. We're told Vanessa Bryant was not among those on board.

The LA County Sheriff’s office confirmed in a tweet that five people were on board the flight when it crashed and there were no survivors. 

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (American sports columnist) confirmed Bryant and his daughter were on board. Reports indicate the helicopter was taking Bryant and the others to his daughter’s basketball game 

The sheriff's department also posted pictures of the scene as smoke could be seen emerging from the brush in a ravine.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said it was a Sikorsky S-76 and it was not known what caused the crash. 

The crash occurred several miles from Mamba Sports Academy, Bryant's basketball training complex in Thousand Oaks, California. Bryant, who had four daughters with his wife, Vanessa, dedicated himself to boosting women's sports in his retirement.

Kobe is widely considered one of the greatest NBA players of all time making 18 All-Star teams during his 20-year career with the Lakers. He was a first-round pick in the 1996 draft, winning 5 NBA championships, 2 NBA Finals MVPs and he was the league MVP in '08. Kobe's accomplishments stand far outside of the basketball world. He won an Oscar for his short film, "Dear Basketball," in 2018.

A memorial to Kobe has already sprung up outside near the scene of the crash and at the Staples Center, where Kobe played for years. 

Shocked fans have flocked to the Staples Center arena in Los Angeles around a wreath with a message: "Kobe we love you RIP."

Tributes are being paid on social media, with US President Donald Trump tweeting to say Bryant's death is "terrible news".

Former US President Barack Obama has said described Bryant as a "legend on the court" - and said "to lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents".

“Kobe Bryant was a giant who inspired, amazed, and thrilled people everywhere with his incomparable skill on the court — and awed us with his intellect and humility as a father, husband, creative genius, and an ambassador for the game he loved,” L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a news statement Sunday afternoon. “He will live forever in the heart of Los Angeles, and will be remembered through the ages as one of our greatest heroes.”

Earlier on Sunday a tribute was shown in a video board and a minute's silence was observed before the game between the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors at the AT&T Center in Texas.

Kobe Bryant passed his love of the game on to Gianna. They had been spotted sitting courtside at NBA games in recent months, and Kobe said she aspired to one day play college basketball for UConn.