Kobe Bryant's daughter Gianna also killed in helicopter crash

LOS ANGELES:  Basketball star Kobe Bryant died Sunday after a helicopter crashed and burst into flames in foggy conditions in suburban Los Angeles, killing all nine people on board.

NBA legend's second-oldest daughter, Gianna "Gigi" Bryant, was also killed in the accident. She was 13 years old.

Sports journalist Adrian Wojnarowski took to twitter to share  the report.

The 41-year-old star  was travelling with his daughter Gianna and seven other passengers and crew when their Sikorsky S-76 helicopter slammed into a rugged hillside in Calabasas, west of Los Angeles. There were no survivors.

Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist, is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players in history.

Father-of-four Bryant and his teenage daughter were later confirmed amongst the nine fatalities. No further information on the identities of the pilot and six other passengers was released.

Bryant´s death sent shockwaves throughout the world, with basketball stars left stunned by the news.

Tributes to Bryant flooded in from sports stars around the world, a sign of how the man known as the "Black Mamba" had transcended basketball throughout his career.