Calabasas, Calif. - NBA legend Kobe Bryant is dead following a helicopter crash north of Los Angeles.
Bryant played his entire career with the Lakers after being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in 1997. He was traded to Los Angeles on draft night.
The five-time NBA champion was 41 years old. He was the 2007-08 MVP, 18-time all-star, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. It was as a member of those Olympic teams that Coach Boeheim interacted with Bryant.
Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, along with the seven others on board at the time died in the crash. The helicopter plunged into a steep hillside at about 9:45 a.m. Sunday. The cause of the crash was unknown, but conditions at the time were such that the Los Angeles Police Department and the county sheriff's department grounded their helicopters.
Former CNS Star Breanna Stewart also reacted to Bryant's death on Twitter.