BASKETBALL star Kobe Bryant has been killed in a helicopter crash aged 41.

The former Los Angeles Lakers player died along with four other passengers – including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria – when the aircraft he was in came down outside the city of Calabasas, California.

Local officials said last night the helicopter crashed “under unknown circumstances”.

A statement on social media read: “It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of Kobe Bryant and four others in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. The aircraft went down in a remote field off Las Virgenes around 10:00 this morning. Nobody on the ground was hurt.”

The National: Kobe Bryant

One of NBA’s most popular players, who won five championships, Bryant and his family have received condolences from celebrities and fans alike.

Bryant retired in 2016 as the third-leading scorer in NBA history, finishing two decades with the Lakers. He held that spot in the league scoring ranks until Saturday night, when the Lakers’ LeBron James passed him during a game in Philadelphia, Bryant’s hometown.

Actors Whoopi Goldberg and Idris Elba, as well as politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were among those to pay tribute on social media.