Basketball giant Kobe Bryant has been killed in a helicopter crash in California.
The NBA legend, 41, was travelling with at least three other people in his private helicopter when it crashed in Calabasas on Sunday Morning, the Mirror reports.
The chopper is said to have been on fire after going down, as emergency services battled to save those on board.
Five people have been confirmed dead as a result of the crash, reports TMZ.
The tragedy is now under investigation.
Bryant's wife Vanessa is not believed to have been involved in the accident.
The pair share four daughters, Gianna, Natalia and Bianca and their newborn Capri.
Bryant, 41, regularly used his Sikorsky S-76 helicopter to travel to and from matches at the Staples Center for years.
The son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, he started his career for the Lakers in 1996 after becoming the first guard to be drafted straight out of high school by the Hornets, who immediately traded him.
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He grew up in Philadelphia, and had attended Lower Merion High School in the state of Pennsylvania.
There he developed a reputation as a leading star of the future, and was soon making headlines as a rookie in the NBA.
Bryant won the 1997 Slam Dunk contest, and was named an All-Star in his second season.
Forming a formidable relationship with Shaquille O'Neal on the court, Bryant helped the Lakers win three back-to-back NBA championships from 2000-2002.
After being awarded most valuable player in 2008, Bryant added a further two championships to his and the Lakers' tally, once again winning them consecutively in 2009 and 2010.
His haul of five titles is the joint-highest total in franchise history, and he remains the Lakers' all-time leading points scorer.
The shooting guard wore numbers eight and 24 during his career, which were both retired by the Lakers in December 2017.
