Los Angeles, Jan 27 (AFP) National Basketball Association (NBA) legend Kobe Bryant died Sunday in a helicopter crash in suburban Los Angeles, celebrity website TMZ reported, saying five people are confirmed dead in the incident.

A helicopter crash in the hills near Calabasas was also confirmed by the Los Angeles Times.

The incident came only hours after the former Los Angeles Lakers star, 41, was passed by current Lakers star LeBron James for third on the all-time NBA scoring list in a Saturday game at Philadelphia.

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