Kobe Bryant, who has died in a helicopter crash at the age of 41, was a
basketball prodigy, spending his entire storied career with the
Los Angeles Lakers, where he won five NBA championships. The Lakers star, nicknamed the Black Mamba, scored 81 points against the
Toronto Raptors in 2006, the second-highest in NBA history. Bryant has been mourned by Magic Johnson as 'the greatest Laker of all time' and an inspiration to a generation of young players, but his reputation was tarnished by an accusation of rape in 2003. He was killed with eight others, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed outside Los Angeles on Sunday morning.
Kobe Bryant: LA Lakers star killed in helicopter crash – live updates