NBA legend and All-Star Kobe Bryant died Sunday morning in a helicopter crash. He was 41 years old.
The retired Los Angeles Lakers player was flying over Calabasas, California, when fog and low-visibility conditions caused the crash, killing nine people, including Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva criticized TMZ for breaking the news before the family was notified.
“It would be extremely disrespectful to understand that your loved ones perished and you learned about it from TMZ,” he said. “That is just wholly inappropriate. So we’re not going to be going there.
Josh Rios, a 19-year-old UF political science and economics freshman, said he was shocked when he heard about Bryant’s death. He said that Bryant embodied the toughness and tenacity it takes to be a human being.
“He transcended social life,” Rios said. “Even people who don’t like basketball know the name Kobe Bryant.”
Jordan Levi, a 22-year-old UF chemistry and materials science senior, said he has always been a fan of Bryant for both the way he played basketball and the messages he tried to send to those watching the sport.
“He was a beast,” he said. “He used his abilities to profoundly impact the game of basketball for the better.”
In this June 17, 2009 file photo Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant smiles as he and his daughter Gianna Maria-Onore walk up the steps after the victory parade celebrating the Lakers' NBA championship in Los Angeles. Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. Gianna also died in the crash. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, file)
