Kobe Bryant, the NBA Most Valuable Player who had a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died on Sunday when the helicopter he was traveling in crashed and burst into flames in the hills above Calabasas, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. His daughter Gianna, 13, was also on board and died along with seven others. "The NBA family is devastated by the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.