Second UPDATE

MANILA – The whole wide world who loves basketball, mourn the sudden passing of NBA basketball star Kobe Bryant in a fatal helicopter crash that also involved his daughter Gianna and seven other persons.

In an early morning interview Monday with DWIZ, Philippine Sports Commission Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, who himself a basketball star during his heyday in the PBA, said Kobe Bryant is such a big loss to the sports community.

Fernandez, tagged as “El Kapitan” or “The Captain” by sports writers covering the PBA beat before, stressed that Kobe Bryant is not only a big loss to the sporting world but to many who benefited his charity works.

Unknown to many, Kobe and wife Vanessa run a foundation, The Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation, that is dedicated to improving the lives of youth and families in need, both domestically and globally.

Its webpage says the foundation provides “financial resources and developing unique programs, the Foundation strives to strengthen communities through educational and cultural enrichment opportunities.”

Kobe, an 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 news wire service Associated Press said. He was 41.

Bryant died in the foggy hills above Calabasas, California, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, a person familiar with the situation told AP.

A different person familiar with the case confirmed Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna also was killed.

Authorities said nine people were on the helicopter and that all were presumed dead. No names were released.

Both of the AP’s unnamed sources spoke on condition of anonymity because few details of the crash had been released publicly. The crash happened around 10 a.m.

An earlier report said, Kobe’s wife Vanessa was not with him and daughter during the crash.(IAMIGO/CPH)