latimes--2020-01-26--Kobe Bryant crash: A boom, then a huge fireball. 'No one could survive that'

Jerry Kocharian , 62 , was standing outside the Church in the Canyon drinking coffee when he heard a helicopter flying unusually low and seeming to struggle .
“ It wasn ’ t sounding right , and it was real low , ” Kocharian said .
“ I saw it falling and spluttering .
But it was hard to make out as it was so foggy.
” The helicopter vanished into the sheet of fog , then there was a boom and “ a big fireball , ” he said .
The Times is offering coverage of Kobe Bryant ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider a subscription to support our journalism .
Kocharian was among several who watched as Bryant ’ s chopper crashed in Calabasas on Sunday morning , killing nine people , including the NBA legend and daughter Gianna .
The crash occurred shortly before 10 a.m. near Las Virgenes Road , south of Agoura Road , according to a watch commander for the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department .
The helicopter departed John Wayne Airport at 9:06 a.m. Sunday , according to publicly available flight records .
The helicopter passed over Boyle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circled over Glendale during the flight .
Scott Daehlin 61 , was taking a break from setting up sound for a service at Church of the Canyon , which is below the crash site , when he heard the helicopter overheard .
“ Because of its proximity to the ground , I knew something was wrong .
It was hovering real low , like they were searching to land .
It was making a slow left turn .
It was about 9:44 a.m. , and then the impact happened .
I heard a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it pancaked .
I think it hit rotors first , ” Daehlin said “ I immediately called 911.
” Daehlin said in the thick fog the deputies and fire trucks initially drove past the crash site in the hills west of Stokes Canyon .
The church sits on the west side of Las Virgenes , across from the hillside .
The helicopter that carried Bryant was a 1991 Sikorsky S-76B built in 1991 .
It had the tail number N72EX .
It departed John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana at 9:06 a.m. Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The helicopter passed over Boyle Heights , near Dodger Stadium , and circled over Glendale during the flight .
The NTSB database didn ’ t show any prior incidents or accidents for the helicopter .
The helicopter is registered to Island Express Holding Corp .
The firm is in Fillmore , according to the California secretary of state business database .
The business registration describes the company as offering “ helicopter flight charter .
”

Jerry Kocharian, 62, was standing outside the Church in the Canyon drinking coffee when he heard a helicopter flying unusually low and seeming to struggle.
“It wasn’t sounding right, and it was real low,” Kocharian said. “I saw it falling and spluttering. But it was hard to make out as it was so foggy.”
The helicopter vanished into the sheet of fog, then there was a boom and “a big fireball,” he said.
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“No one could survive that.”
Kocharian was among several who watched as Bryant’s chopper crashed in Calabasas on Sunday morning, killing nine people, including the NBA legend and daughter Gianna.
The crash occurred shortly before 10 a.m. near Las Virgenes Road, south of Agoura Road, according to a watch commander for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The helicopter departed John Wayne Airport at 9:06 a.m. Sunday, according to publicly available flight records. The helicopter passed over Boyle Heights, near Dodger Stadium, and circled over Glendale during the flight.
Scott Daehlin 61, was taking a break from setting up sound for a service at Church of the Canyon, which is below the crash site, when he heard the helicopter overheard.
“Because of its proximity to the ground, I knew something was wrong. It was hovering real low, like they were searching to land. It was making a slow left turn. It was about 9:44 a.m., and then the impact happened. I heard a crunch. I don’t think it pancaked. I think it hit rotors first,” Daehlin said “I immediately called 911.”
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Daehlin said in the thick fog the deputies and fire trucks initially drove past the crash site in the hills west of Stokes Canyon.
The church sits on the west side of Las Virgenes, across from the hillside.
The helicopter that carried Bryant was a 1991 Sikorsky S-76B built in 1991. It had the tail number N72EX. It departed John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana at 9:06 a.m. Sunday, according to publicly available flight records. The helicopter passed over Boyle Heights, near Dodger Stadium, and circled over Glendale during the flight. The NTSB database didn’t show any prior incidents or accidents for the helicopter.
The helicopter is registered to Island Express Holding Corp. The firm is in Fillmore, according to the California secretary of state business database. The business registration describes the company as offering “helicopter flight charter.”


latimes--2020-01-26--'Did you hear?' The public grieves for Kobe Bryant, from Trader Joe's to Staples Center

“ Did you hear ?
” one cashier at the Trader Joe ’ s on La Brea Avenue and 3rd Street said quietly to another staffer as he passed by .
“ Yeah , but is it for real ?
” the other man replied .
As smartphones pinged with news alerts and rang with calls announcing Kobe Bryant ’ s death , the normal hum and activity of the busy grocery store slowed nearly to a halt as shoppers stood in the aisles staring at their phones .
Some exchanged heavy looks with one another .
“ Brutal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was the best , ” another said as he passed by .
It was that kind of day across Los Angeles as the city mourned publicly and emotionally for one of basketball ’ s greats , killed in a helicopter crash Sunday morning along with his daughter and seven others .
At L.A. Live , where Bryant played for years , fans were stunned .
“ I knew there would be a nice crowd down here , and it ’ d be a place to come talk about it and hang with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Robinson said .
“ Initially , you ’ re like , ‘ It ’ s not true , ’ ” he added .
“ Now that its real , it sucks .
He was a legend in this city .
He taught us that , with hard work , you can be the best at anything .
All those videos showing him in the gym , late nights , it was empowering , it was inspiring.
” Ryan Apfel , a USC student from Redondo Beach who played high school basketball , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apartment by myself and I broke down crying .
I looked for my Kobe jersey and said , ‘ I have to go down there .
I ’ m too restless .
I have to pay my respects.
’ “ Growing up in L.A. , it ’ s such a big , diverse , spread-out city , ” Apfel said .
“ One of the things that I realized growing up here that brought us together was the Lakers and Kobe .
I think part of that was because of the way he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of people grew up with Kobe as their mentor from afar .
It ’ s not just about basketball .
It ’ s been about how you approach life in general .
A lot of people from L.A. take that to heart .
Even after he retired , this is a Kobe town.
” The mood was the same in Orange County , where Bryant lived .
Leslie Agan , 38 , still has in her safe a carry-out tray signed “ Kobe 8 ” that he autographed for her in 2000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AMC 30 theater in Orange .
“ I saw him just about every weekend at my first job , and he was always extremely kind and considerate , ” she said .
“ The death of Kobe Bryant feels exactly like losing a childhood friend .
There will never be another.
” The Lakers have always had a huge Korean American fan base — a following that grew when the team became the first in the NBA to broadcast in Korean in 2013 .
That was the year when Time Warner Cable , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regional TV rights to Lakers games for the next two decades , hired five Korean Americans as play-by-play announcers and color commentators , prompting crowds to swarm karaoke bars and restaurants to catch Kobe in action — and to immerse themselves in learning more about the sport with the help , and intimacy , of their native language .
“ He ’ s one of these athletes that transcend race and nationality — I ’ ve been following him since he graduated from high school and went straight to the NBA , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public relations executive .
“ The fact that the team participated in outreach to our community only made them more popular .
It showed that they and the business decision-makers really support fans from all cultures.
” Kim , who divides his time between Newport Beach , where Kobe made his home , and Los Angeles , said multiple friends texted him news of the crash , which sent him rushing to social media .
“ This is like the day Michael Jackson , the king of pop , was all of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the king of basketball .
Man , just wow , just shocked.
” Like many famous athletes , Kobe is known just by one name all over Asia .
Kim says even his mother , who is not devoted to sports , and scores of his fellow immigrants who do not monitor on-the-court activities know the legend .
“ We mourn through technology , ” he added .
“ This way , we share our grief locally and globally .
”

Gustavo Arellano, Joel Rubin, Jack Harris, Anh Do

Fans gathered in front of the Staples Center to mourn the death of Kobe Bryant.
“Did you hear?” one cashier at the Trader Joe’s on La Brea Avenue and 3rd Street said quietly to another staffer as he passed by.
“Yeah, but is it for real?” the other man replied.
“Yeah, just confirmed. Unbelievable.”
As smartphones pinged with news alerts and rang with calls announcing Kobe Bryant’s death, the normal hum and activity of the busy grocery store slowed nearly to a halt as shoppers stood in the aisles staring at their phones. Some exchanged heavy looks with one another.
“Brutal,” one said to himself.
“He was the best,” another said as he passed by.
It was that kind of day across Los Angeles as the city mourned publicly and emotionally for one of basketball’s greats, killed in a helicopter crash Sunday morning along with his daughter and seven others.
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At L.A. Live, where Bryant played for years, fans were stunned.
“It made me sick, absolutely sick,” said Kyle Robinson, 28, a lifelong Laker fan.
“I knew there would be a nice crowd down here, and it’d be a place to come talk about it and hang with other fans that are hurting too,” Robinson said.
“Initially, you’re like, ‘It’s not true,’ ” he added. “Now that its real, it sucks. He was a legend in this city. He taught us that, with hard work, you can be the best at anything. All those videos showing him in the gym, late nights, it was empowering, it was inspiring.”
Ryan Apfel, a USC student from Redondo Beach who played high school basketball, said: “I was at my apartment by myself and I broke down crying. I looked for my Kobe jersey and said, ‘I have to go down there. I’m too restless. I have to pay my respects.’
“Growing up in L.A., it’s such a big, diverse, spread-out city,” Apfel said. “One of the things that I realized growing up here that brought us together was the Lakers and Kobe. I think part of that was because of the way he approached the game. I think a lot of people grew up with Kobe as their mentor from afar. It’s not just about basketball. It’s been about how you approach life in general. A lot of people from L.A. take that to heart. Even after he retired, this is a Kobe town.”
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The mood was the same in Orange County, where Bryant lived.
Leslie Agan, 38, still has in her safe a carry-out tray signed “Kobe 8” that he autographed for her in 2000 when she was a cashier at the AMC 30 theater in Orange.
“I saw him just about every weekend at my first job, and he was always extremely kind and considerate,” she said. “The death of Kobe Bryant feels exactly like losing a childhood friend. There will never be another.”
The Lakers have always had a huge Korean American fan base — a following that grew when the team became the first in the NBA to broadcast in Korean in 2013.
That was the year when Time Warner Cable, which invested nearly $3 billion for regional TV rights to Lakers games for the next two decades, hired five Korean Americans as play-by-play announcers and color commentators, prompting crowds to swarm karaoke bars and restaurants to catch Kobe in action — and to immerse themselves in learning more about the sport with the help, and intimacy, of their native language.
“He’s one of these athletes that transcend race and nationality — I’ve been following him since he graduated from high school and went straight to the NBA,” recalled Alex Kim, 47, a public relations executive. “The fact that the team participated in outreach to our community only made them more popular. It showed that they and the business decision-makers really support fans from all cultures.”
Kim, who divides his time between Newport Beach, where Kobe made his home, and Los Angeles, said multiple friends texted him news of the crash, which sent him rushing to social media. “This is like the day Michael Jackson, the king of pop, was all of a sudden gone, since [Bryant] is the king of basketball. Man, just wow, just shocked.”
Like many famous athletes, Kobe is known just by one name all over Asia. Kim says even his mother, who is not devoted to sports, and scores of his fellow immigrants who do not monitor on-the-court activities know the legend. “We mourn through technology,” he added. “This way, we share our grief locally and globally.”


latimes--2020-01-26--Watching as Kobe Bryant's helicopter crashed and burst into flames

I was sitting at my dining room table Sunday morning when I heard the whir of helicopter blades .
It was a foggy morning , with visibility at less than 60 feet .
I looked toward a nearby window in my Calabasas home and heard a massive boom , followed by a few seconds of silence .
Then a fireball erupted on a hillside off Las Virgenes Road .
I had no way of knowing the helicopter that had plunged into the Santa Monica Mountains hillside was carrying basketball legend Kobe Bryant , as well as his young daughter Gianna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the nation into mourning .
The Times is offering coverage of Kobe Bryant ’ s death for free today .
Please consider a subscription to support our journalism .
It was 9:52 a.m. , and I ventured out onto the street .
Visibility was poor .
Using binoculars , I was able to see the aircraft had been torn apart and was on fire .
It turned out the aircraft was a helicopter , and it was scattered in many pieces on the hillside .
In the ensuing minutes , a stream @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I was able to make it closer to the crash site , where I saw debris strewn across the hillside , still smoldering .
Closer to the scene , I also found others who had witnessed the crash .
Eyewitness Jerry Kocharian , 62 , said he was standing outside the Church in the Canyon drinking coffee when he heard a helicopter that was flying unusually low and seeming to struggle .
“ It wasn ’ t sounding right , ” he said , “ and it was real low .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was hard to make out as it was so foggy.
” The craft vanished into the sheet of fog , and then Kocharian heard the boom and saw a fireball .
“ No one could survive that , ” he said .
Later , the L.A. Times confirmed that two of those on board were Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter .

Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Tony Imbrenda shares a brief update on the helicopter crash that occurred Sunday morning in the hills of Calabasas.
I was sitting at my dining room table Sunday morning when I heard the whir of helicopter blades.
It was a foggy morning, with visibility at less than 60 feet. I looked toward a nearby window in my Calabasas home and heard a massive boom, followed by a few seconds of silence. Then a fireball erupted on a hillside off Las Virgenes Road.
I had no way of knowing the helicopter that had plunged into the Santa Monica Mountains hillside was carrying basketball legend Kobe Bryant, as well as his young daughter Gianna, and this crash would send fans around the nation into mourning.
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It was 9:52 a.m., and I ventured out onto the street. Visibility was poor.
Using binoculars, I was able to see the aircraft had been torn apart and was on fire. It turned out the aircraft was a helicopter, and it was scattered in many pieces on the hillside.
In the ensuing minutes, a stream of firefighters arrived to tackle the fire. I was able to make it closer to the crash site, where I saw debris strewn across the hillside, still smoldering.
Closer to the scene, I also found others who had witnessed the crash.
Eyewitness Jerry Kocharian, 62, said he was standing outside the Church in the Canyon drinking coffee when he heard a helicopter that was flying unusually low and seeming to struggle.
“It wasn’t sounding right,” he said, “and it was real low. I saw it falling and spluttering. But it was hard to make out as it was so foggy.”
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The craft vanished into the sheet of fog, and then Kocharian heard the boom and saw a fireball.
“No one could survive that,” he said.
Later, the L.A. Times confirmed that two of those on board were Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter.


latimes--2020-01-26--Kobe Bryant, daughter Gianna among 9 dead in helicopter crash in Calabasas

Kobe Bryant , 41 , the legendary basketball star who spent 20 years with the Lakers , was killed when the helicopter he was traveling in crashed and burst into flames Sunday morning amid foggy conditions in the hills above Calabasas , sources told the Los Angeles Times .
His daughter Gianna , 13 , was also on board , NBA authorities confirmed .
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said nine people were on board — a pilot and eight passengers .
He would not confirm who had died until all the next of kin have been notified , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stunned Los Angeles and the sports world , which mourned one of basketball ’ s greatest players .
Sources said the helicopter took off from Orange County , where Bryant lived .
The crash occurred shortly before 10 a.m. near Las Virgenes Road and Willow Glen Street in Calabasas .
Authorities received a 911 call at 9:47 a.m. , and firefighters arrived to find that the crash had ignited a quarter-acre brush fire in steep terrain , said L.A. County Fire Chief Daryl Osby .
Responders included 56 fire personnel — firefighters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and sheriff ’ s deputies .
“ Our firefighters hiked into the accident site with their medical equipment and hose lines to extinguish the stubborn fire as it included the brush fire … and the helicopter , ” Osby said during a news conference Sunday afternoon .
“ The fire also included magnesium , which is very hard for firefighters to extinguish because magnesium reacts with oxygen and water.
” Firefighter-paramedics were hoisted into the crash zone early on to look for survivors , Osby said .
All nine people on board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news conference .
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash , and the Los Angeles County coroner ’ s office is working on retrieving the bodies and identifying the victims .
Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli was among those who died in the crash , the college confirmed .
As a mentor and coach for 27 years , he helped students earn scholarships to play at four-year colleges and treated players like family , the statement said .
“ Coach Altobelli was a giant on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coach , colleague and friend .
This is a tremendous loss for our campus community , ” OCC President Angelica Suarez said in a statement .
The Times is offering coverage of Kobe Bryant ’ s death for free today .
Please consider a subscription to support our journalism .
The helicopter , a Sikorsky S-76B built in 1991 , departed John Wayne Airport at 9:06 a.m. Sunday , according to publicly available flight records .
The chopper passed over Boyle Heights , near Dodger Stadium , and circled over Glendale during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ database does not show any prior incidents or accidents for the aircraft .
The helicopter was registered to the Fillmore-based Island Express Holding Corp. , according to the California secretary of state ’ s business database .
The helicopter ’ s manufacturer , Sikorsky , said in a statement Sunday that it is cooperating with the investigation .
Jerry Kocharian was standing outside the Church in the Canyon drinking coffee when he heard a helicopter that was flying unusually low and struggling .
“ It [ didn ’ t ] sound right and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it falling and spluttering .
But it was hard to make out as it was so foggy , ” Kocharian said .
The helicopter vanished into a cloud of fog and then there was a boom .
“ There was a big fireball , ” he said .
“ No one could survive that.
” Across the country Sunday , public figures , former teammates and fans alike mourned the basketball star .
“ Particularly when he was young , to be a part of his life and to watch his career grow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the most tragic days of my life , ” said fellow Lakers legend Jerry West , 81 .
West was the general manager for the Lakers in 1996 and maneuvered Bryant ’ s immediate trade to the Lakers when he was drafted .
“ I know somewhere along the way I guess I ’ ll come to grips with it .
But now I have all these different emotions regarding him .
The things I watched him do on the basketball court , but more importantly … he was making a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s so unexplainable .
This is going to take a long time for me.
” “ Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act , ” former President Obama tweeted .
“ To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents .
Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable day.
” It was a sad and surreal scene inside Staples Center around noon Sunday , where a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking place , as word of Bryant ’ s death swept through the arena .
Crews worked quickly to move Bryant ’ s rafter jerseys side by side and masked the other retired jerseys with curtains .
By 1 p.m. , the switch had been made .
No .
8 and No .
24 were side by side , illuminated by floodlights .
News of the crash dominated the rehearsal .
Ariana Grande had just finished a lavish performance , and Billie Eilish was about to perform an acoustic song with her brother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jerseys at the other end of the floor , as staff and observers watched in disbelief .
Within half an hour of the news breaking , a Barnes & Noble store in Orange had sold out of all photo books featuring the former NBA star .
“ It ’ s kind of morose , but people just came in 10 or 15 minutes after we found out about it , “ said Armando Romero , a bookseller at the cash register .
He said his general manager announced Bryant ’ s death to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We knew right away people would be coming.
” Minutes later , Romero said , he received phone calls from customers , asking to put Bryant-related books on hold .
At the Fullerton Mexican restaurant El Camino Real , the staff was “ really sad , ” said manager Rodolfo Garcia .
Bryant patronized the restaurant for 20 years with his wife , a Fullerton native .
If he couldn ’ t come in person , Bryant would have friends get big orders to take back to his Newport Coast home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Garcia said , over the thud of a butcher breaking down carne asada for tacos .
“ He loved this place because people treated him like a normal person .
Kobe would just stand in line , like anyone else .
He ’ d tell us , ‘ Don ’ t treat me like a star ; I ’ m just a customer here.
’ ” Bryant was born in Philadelphia .
His father , Joe , played eight seasons in the 1970s and ’ 80s for the Philadelphia 76ers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last stop , the Houston Rockets under then-coach Del Harris .
A lighthearted , 6-foot-10 stringbean who went by his Philadelphia playground nickname , Jellybean , Joe Bryant played college ball at La Salle and married Pam Cox , the sister of a starting guard at Villanova .
They named their first son Kobe , after the city in Japan .
Bryant excelled at Lower Merion High in Ardmore , Pa. , near Philadelphia , winning numerous national awards as a senior before announcing his intention to skip college and enter the NBA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Charlotte in 1996 , but the Lakers had already worked out a deal with the Hornets to acquire Bryant before his selection .
Bryant impressed Lakers general manager Jerry West during a pre-draft workout session in Los Angeles .
Less than three weeks later , the Lakers traded starting center Vlade Divac to the Hornets in exchange for Bryant ’ s rights .
Bryant , whose favorite team growing up was the Lakers , had to have his parents co-sign his NBA contract because he was 17 years old .
The 6-foot-6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1996-97 season opener against Minnesota ; at the time he was the youngest player to appear in an NBA game .
He started in only a handful of games during his rookie season , coming off the bench in support of Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones .
However , Harris played him more as the season progressed , allowing Bryant to showcase the skills that made him a top candidate for rookie of the year .
Those skills were also on display when Bryant won the 1997 NBA slam dunk competition .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ season in the league , averaging 15.4 points per game .
But his breakout came in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season when he started in all 50 games after the Lakers traded away Van Exel and Jones .
Bryant and leading scorer Shaquille O ’ Neal quickly morphed into one of the most lethal scoring and defensive combinations in the league .
Together , with coach Phil Jackson guiding them , they led the Lakers to three consecutive championships ( 2000-02 ) as Bryant began to cement his place as the game ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no words to express the pain I ’ m going through with this tragedy of loosing my neice Gigi & my brother , ” O ’ Neal tweeted Sunday .
“ I love u and u will be missed .
My condolences goes out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers on board .
IM SICK RIGHT NOW.
” Despite coming together to win some of the most closely fought playoff series in Lakers history , friction started to develop between Bryant and O ’ Neal .
Tension between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons as the Lakers failed to capitalize on their status as top contenders for the NBA title .
Making matters worse , Bryant was arrested in July 2003 on allegations of sexual assault .
The charges were eventually dropped , but Bryant ’ s reputation took a hit and he settled a civil lawsuit with the accuser .
In exchange for not testifying in the criminal case , the accuser negotiated an apology letter from Bryant that read , in part , “ Although I truly believe this encounter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand how she sincerely feels that she did not consent.
” After the Lakers lost to Detroit in the NBA Finals with a star-studded team that included Karl Malone and Gary Payton , O ’ Neal was traded to Miami and Jackson ’ s coaching contract was not renewed .
As the team ’ s undisputed leader , Bryant signed a seven-year contract to remain with the team .
Bryant summed up the tensions between him and O ’ Neal after the Lakers won the NBA title in 2009 : “ We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s probably the first dynamic duo that had two alpha males on one team .
We managed to make it work for three championships.
” Bryant posted some of the best offensive numbers of his career over the next three seasons , but the team struggled , failing to make the playoffs in 2005 before suffering consecutive first-round defeats to Phoenix in 2006 and 2007 .
Jackson returned to the team for the 2005-06 season , and Bryant went on to lead the league in scoring that season with a career-best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or more in 27 games and became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1964 to finish with 45 points or more in four consecutive games .
His biggest single-game achievement came Jan. 22 , 2006 , against Toronto when he scored a career-high 81 points , the second most in NBA history .
Earlier that season , on Dec. 20 , 2005 , he scored 62 points in 33 minutes through three quarters of a game against Dallas ; he had outscored the entire Mavericks team , 62-61 , entering the final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play .
Bryant continued to impress during the 2006-07 season , scoring 50 or more points in a team-record 10 games and averaging 31.6 points a game to capture his second NBA scoring title .
Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was at that game , he said in a Twitter video Sunday .
“ It is something that I will always remember as one of the highlights of the things that I have learned and observed in sports.
” “ He was an incredible athlete and a leader in a lot of ways .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ athletes .
He was one of the first ones to leave high school and come into the NBA and do so well , dominating the game and becoming one of the best scorers that the Los Angeles Lakers has ever seen , ” Abdul-Jabbar said .
“ He is the No .
1 player in the league , by far , ” Washington guard Gilbert Arenas said in 2006 .
“ With a player like him , he just wants that challenge .
He ’ s just that fierce competitor .
He doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s the one who everybody ’ s afraid of.
” Bryant ’ s 2007-08 NBA MVP season got off to a tumultuous start after he reportedly demanded to be traded .
He was reportedly unhappy with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and Jackson .
“ I would like to be traded , ” Bryant said during a radio interview .
“ Tough as it is to come to that conclusion , there ’ s no other alternative .
It ’ s rough , man , but I don ’ t see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I just don ’ t know how you can move forward in that type of situation.
” Bryant eventually backtracked on his trade demands and posted perhaps his best all-around season , leading a team re-energized by Pau Gasol ’ s arrival from Memphis in February 2008 to a first-place finish in the Western Conference .
The Lakers embarked on a memorable playoff run before losing to Boston in the Finals .
Later that year , Bryant went on to win a gold medal with the U.S. team at the 2008 Summer Olympic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the direction the team was heading , he guided the Lakers to back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010 .
He was named the NBA Finals MVP both years as the team once again ascended to the top of the NBA .
Ongoing soreness in Bryant ’ s knee and ankle coupled with the team ’ s heavy reliance in him played a role in the Lakers ’ championship run coming to an end in 2011 .
Bryant posted his lowest points per game totals since the 2003-04 season as he dealt with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He went on to win his fourth NBA All-Star Game most-valuable-player award but fell short of his ultimate goal of winning a sixth NBA title .
Bryant also became the youngest player in NBA history to amass 27,000 career points .
Bryant finished third in league scoring in 2011-12 despite dealing with ongoing knee and ankle issues .
In January 2012 , he scored at least 40 points in four consecutive games , which included a 48-point effort against the Phoenix Suns .
Following the team ’ s acquisition of Dwight Howard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regarded as a favorite for the NBA title .
However , friction between Bryant and Howard started to develop as the team struggled .
Despite this , Bryant led the NBA in scoring for much of the first half of the season and surpassed Chamberlain for fourth all-time in league scoring .
But Bryant ’ s season came to a disappointing end when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon against the Golden State Warriors on April 10 .
The injury and subsequent surgery prevented Bryant from playing in the early portion of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a two-year , $ 48.5-million contract extension with the Lakers before the start of the 2013-14 season , did not return from injury until December .
He played in only six games before suffering a lateral tibial plateau fracture in his left knee .
The injury forced him to miss the remainder of the season as the Lakers limped to a 27-55 record , missing the playoffs for only the second time since Bryant joined the franchise .
He retired from the NBA but began a new career in Hollywood .
In 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director Glen Keane for the animated short film “ Dear Basketball.
” Just Saturday night , Laker LeBron James passed Bryant for third on the NBA ’ s all-time scoring list .
Allen Kenitzer , an FAA spokesman , said his agency and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating the helicopter crash .
“ Kobe Bryant was a giant who inspired , amazed , and thrilled people everywhere with his incomparable skill on the court — and awed us with his intellect and humility as a father , husband , creative genius @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loved , ” L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a news statement Sunday afternoon .
“ He will live forever in the heart of Los Angeles , and will be remembered through the ages as one of our greatest heroes.
” Times staff writers Nathan Fenno , David Carrillo , Michael DiGiovanna , Chris Erskine , Alex Wigglesworth , Broderick Turner , Cindy Carcamo and Gustavo Arellano contributed to this report .

Richard Winton, Dan Woike, Sonali Kohli, Tania Ganguli

Kobe Bryant, Lakers legend, died when the helicopter he was traveling in crashed into a hillside in Calabasas shortly before 10 a.m.
Kobe Bryant, 41, the legendary basketball star who spent 20 years with the Lakers, was killed Sunday morning when the helicopter he was traveling in crashed amid foggy conditions and burst into flames in the hills above Calabasas.
His daughter Gianna, 13, was also on board, NBA authorities confirmed.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said nine people were on the copter — a pilot and eight passengers. He would not confirm who had died until all the next of kin have been notified, he said. The L.A. County coroner’s office said Sunday night that the recovery effort is expected to take several days because of the condition of the crash site and its remote location. Officials have shut down roads leading to the site because of a throng of visitors trying to get there.
1 / 38 Lakers star Kobe Bryant pauses for a moment as confetti streams down at the Staples Center following his final game on April 13, 2016. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 38 Kobe Bryant, the teenager obtained by the Lakers in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets, takes part in an ad shoot for Adidas at Will Rogers State Beach. (Los Angeles Times) 3 / 38 Kobe Bryant was already shooting his first commercial before taking his first shot for the Lakers. (Los Angeles Times) 4 / 38 Laker rookie Kobe Bryant, 18, listens to coach Del Harris during a break in a 129-99 victory over the Washington Bullets at the Forum. Bryant scored 13 points. (Los Angeles Times) 5 / 38 Kobe Bryant drives against Utah center Greg Ostertag in the Western Conference Finals at the Forum in Inglewood. Utah won 109-98 to give the Jazz a 3-0 lead in the series. (Paul Morse / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 38 Kobe Bryant is dejected after losing the ball late in the second half of Game 3 of the 1999 Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs at the Forum. The Lakers lost, 103-91, giving the Spurs a 3-0 advantage in the series. The Spurs went on to win the series 4-0. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 38 Kobe Bryant drives past Chris Webber in Game 4 of the first round of the 2000 Western Conference playoffs at Arco Arena in Sacramento. The Kings won, 101-88, but the Lakers went on to win the series in five games and advanced to face the Phoenix Suns in the next round. (Bob Galbraith / Associated Press) 8 / 38 Despite Jason Kidd’s hand in his face, Kobe Bryant puts up the winning shot in the Lakers’ 97-96 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals at Staples Arena. The Lakers won the series, 4-1. (K.C. Alfred / Associated Press) 9 / 38 Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal had a moment to relax after winning their first title together in the 2000 NBA Finals. The two kicked back after a 116-111 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 at Staples Center. Bryant is holding the championship trophy and O’Neal has his Finals MVP trophy. (Paul Morse / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 38 Kobe Bryant performs on stage at the House of Blues in West Hollywood in 2000 during a celebration of the launch of his record label, Heads High Entertainment. (Clarence Williams / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 38 Kobe Bryant is swarmed by teammates Derek Fisher, Rick Fox and Shaquille O’Neal as he heads to the foul line in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. Bryant scored 45 points as the Lakers beat the Spurs, 104-90, on their way to a sweep of the series. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 38 Kobe Bryant goes up for a dunk in the second quarter against the San Antonio Spurs during Game 3 of the 2001 Western Conference finals at Staples Center. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 38 Lakers players Kobe Bryant, left, Lindsey Hunter and Shaquille O’Neal celebrate their NBA title victory over the New Jersey Nets on June 12, 2002. (Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 38 Kobe Bryant, with his wife, Vanessa, at his side, holds a news conference at Staples Center in 2003 to discuss accusations by a 19-year-old Colorado woman that he sexually assaulted her. He conceded he was guilty of adultery, but he declared he was innocent of charges of felonious sexual assault. The charges were later dropped. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 38 Los Angeles Lakers Karl Malone, left, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton and Shaquille O’Neal before their preseason opener with the Los Angeles Clippers. It was Bryant’s first game since sexual assault charges were filed against him in Colorado. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 38 Kobe Bryant, left, looks at his defense attorney Pamela Mackey as he is advised by Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett during his felony sexual assault hearing in Eagle, Colo., on Aug. 6, 2003. (Barry Gutierrez / Associated Press) 17 / 38 Hours after pleading not guilty to a felony sexual assault charge in Colorado, an exhausted Kobe Bryant is congratulated by teammate Derek Fisher after the Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs, 98-90, in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals at the Staples Center. Bryant scored 42 points as the Lakers tied the series at 2-2. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 38 Kobe Bryant writhes in pain after injuring his right ankle during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 13, 2005, in Los Angeles. Bryant was injured when he landed awkwardly on his right foot while going for a rebound under the Cavaliers’ basket and had to be helped off the court. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 38 Kobe Bryant and his new backcourt partner, William “Smush” Parker, during a 2005 preseason game against Utah at the Anaheim Pond. (Los Angeles Times) 20 / 38 Lakers star Kobe Bryant stands next to coach Phil Jackson during a playoff game against the Phoenix Suns in April 2006. (Matt York / Associated Press) 21 / 38 Kobe Bryant walks off the court with his wife, Vanessa, and daughter Natalia after scoring a career-high 81 points in a Lakers win over the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center on Jan. 22, 2006. (Noah Graham / NBAE/Getty Images) 22 / 38 Lakers star Kobe Bryant scores in front of Toronto’s Matt Bonner on his way to scoring 81 points during the Lakers’ 122-104 victory on Jan. 22, 2006. (Matt A. Brown / Associated Press) 23 / 38 Kobe Bryant celebrates the Lakers’ victory over the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 38 Kobe Bryant celebrates after winning his fourth NBA title following the Lakers’ win over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals. (Emmanuel Dunand /AFP/Getty Images) 25 / 38 Kobe Bryant celebrates the Lakers’ Game 7 victory over the Boston Celtics in the 2010 NBA Finals at Staples Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 38 Kobe Bryant holds the NBA championship trophy during the team’s 2010 NBA title victory parade. (David McNew / Getty Images) 27 / 38 Kobe Bryant shows off what he can do with a basketball during an event in Milan, Italy, in September 2011. (Luca Bruno / Associated Press) 28 / 38 Lakers guard Kobe Bryant goes up for a shot over New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler during a game in December 2011. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press) 29 / 38 U.S. players Kevin Durant, left, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant celebrate after winning the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. (Charles Krupa / Associated Press) 30 / 38 Kobe Bryant writhes in pain after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during a game against the Golden State Warriors on April 12, 2013. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 38 Kobe Bryant warms up before playing against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 8, 2013, in his first game back from a torn Achilles tendon. (Harry How / Getty Images) 32 / 38 Kobe Bryant is congratulated by teammates after passing Michael Jordan on the NBA’s all-time scoring list during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 14, 2014. (Jeff Wheeler / TNS) 33 / 38 Lakers star Kobe Bryant goes to hug his family after his final NBA game on April 13, 2016. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 38 Kobe Bryant poses with his family after getting his jerseys retired before a game between the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center on Dec. 18, 2017. (Chris Carlson / Associated Press) 35 / 38 Lakers legend Kobe Bryant walks off the court after his jersey retirement ceremony at the Staples Center in 2017. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 38 Kobe Bryant smiles after winning an Academy Award for best animated short film for “Dear Basketball” on March 4, 2018. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 38 Kobe Bryant shares a laugh with his daughter Gianna while attending a women’s basketball game between Long Beach State and Oregon on Dec. 14, 2019. (Ringo H.W. Chiu / Associated Press) 38 / 38 Lakers star Kobe Bryant watches a tribute video at Staples Center before the final game of his career on April 13, 2016. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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The helicopter, a Sikorsky S-76B built in 1991, departed John Wayne Airport at 9:06 a.m. Sunday, according to publicly available flight records. The chopper passed over Boyle Heights, near Dodger Stadium, and circled over Glendale during the flight.
The crash occurred shortly before 10 a.m. near Las Virgenes Road and Willow Glen Street in Calabasas. Authorities received a 911 call at 9:47 a.m., and firefighters arrived to find that the crash had ignited a quarter-acre brush fire in steep terrain, said L.A. County Fire Chief Daryl Osby. Responders included 56 fire personnel — firefighters, a helicopter with paramedics, hand crews — and sheriff’s deputies.
“Our firefighters hiked into the accident site with their medical equipment and hose lines to extinguish the stubborn fire as it included the brush fire … and the helicopter,” Osby said during a news conference Sunday afternoon. “The fire also included magnesium, which is very hard for firefighters to extinguish because magnesium reacts with oxygen and water.”
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. The FBI is also assisting in the probe, which is standard practice. The NTSB database does not show any prior incidents or accidents for the aircraft. The helicopter was registered to the Fillmore-based Island Express Holding Corp., according to the California secretary of state’s business database. The helicopter’s manufacturer, Sikorsky, said in a statement Sunday that it is cooperating with the investigation.
(Matt Stiles & Priya Krishnakumar / Los Angeles Times) (Los Angeles Times)
The fog was severe enough Sunday morning that the Los Angeles Police Department’s Air Support Division grounded its helicopters and didn’t fly until later in the afternoon, department spokesman Josh Rubenstein said.
“The weather situation did not meet our minimum standards for flying,” Rubenstein said. The fog “was enough that we were not flying.” LAPD’s flight minimums are 2 miles of visibility and an 800-foot cloud ceiling, he said.
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The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department made a similar assessment about the fog and had no helicopters in the air Sunday morning “basically because of the weather,” Villanueva said.
Kurt Deetz, a former pilot for Island Express Helicopters who used to fly Bryant in the chopper, said weather conditions were poor in Van Nuys on Sunday morning — “not good at all.”
The crash was more likely caused by bad weather than engine or mechanical issues, he said. “The likelihood of a catastrophic twin engine failure on that aircraft — it just doesn’t happen,” he said.
Judging from a public record of the flight path and the wide debris field, Deetz said, it appears the helicopter was traveling very fast at the time of impact, about 160 mph. After a 40-minute flight, Deetz added, the craft would have had about 800 pounds of fuel on board. “That’s enough to start a pretty big fire,” he said.
The Los Angeles County coroner’s office is working on retrieving the bodies and has not officially identified any of the victims. But Orange Coast College confirmed that baseball coach John Altobelli was among the others who died in the crash. As a mentor and coach for 27 years, he helped students earn scholarships to play at four-year colleges and treated players like family, the school said in a statement.
“Coach Altobelli was a giant on our campus — a beloved teacher, coach, colleague and friend. This is a tremendous loss for our campus community,” OCC President Angelica Suarez said in a statement.
Altobelli’s wife, Keri Altobelli, and their 13-year-old daughter, Alyssa, who played on the club team with Bryant’s daughter, were also among the victims, according to his family.
Sports Kobe Bryant’s death updates: Clippers to honor Kobe Bryant in first game at Staples Center Kobe Bryant, the NBA MVP who had a 20-year career with the Lakers, was killed Sunday when the helicopter he was traveling in crashed and burst into flames in the hills above Calabasas. His daughter Gianna, 13, was also on board and died along with seven others.
Bryant was scheduled to coach Sunday in a game at his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks and was en route there when the helicopter crashed. The tournament, called the Mamba Cup, featured boys’ and girls’ travel teams of from fourth through eighth grade.
Scores of flowers, a Lakers banner and a photo of Bryant on the cover of Sports Illustrated were left at a growing memorial outside the locked front doors of the academy.
Christina Mauser, Bryant’s top assistant coach on the travel basketball team, was also killed in the crash.
“My kids and I are devastated,” her husband, Matt Mauser, wrote on Facebook. “We lost our beautiful wife and mom today in a helicopter crash.”
Jerry Kocharian was standing outside the Church in the Canyon drinking coffee when he heard a helicopter that was flying unusually low and struggling.
“It [didn’t] sound right and it was real low. I saw it falling and spluttering. But it was hard to make out as it was so foggy,” Kocharian said. The helicopter vanished into a cloud of fog and then there was a boom.
“There was a big fireball,” he said. “No one could survive that.”
1 / 43 A Lakers fan sobs at a memorial for Kobe Bryant outside the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 43 Fans (from left) Alex Fultz, Eddy Rivas and Rene Alfaro gather with others near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center on Sunday after learning of his death. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 43 Martin Yan, 35, of Diamond Bar stands beside of a mural depicting Kobe Bryant on Lebanon Street northeast of Staples Center. Fans are flocking to the area and having photos taken with the mural. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 43 The investigation continues Tuesday at the crash site in Calabasas where a helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others crashed, killing all aboard. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 43 The pilot was identified by colleagues as Ara Zobayan, 50, of Huntington Beach. (Bernadette McKeever) 6 / 43 The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter (N72EX) that crashed in Calabasas. (Geraldine Petrovic / Polaris) 7 / 43 A tribute to Kobe Bryant is projected on the Los Angeles Times building. (Los Angeles Times) 8 / 43 A couple pay their respects at a memorial at home plate in honor of Orange Coast College head baseball coach John Altobelli, who perished with wife Keri, and daughter, Alyssa, in Sunday’s helicopter crash with Kobe Bryant. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot) 9 / 43 Uziel Colon takes a photo of his wife, Maria Home, and daughter Lena with a mural created to honor Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. The mural is by Art Gozukuchikyan on the side of VEM Exotic Rentals on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 43 People pay tribute to Kobe Bryant outside the gated community in Newport Coast where his family lives. (Don Leach / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 43 Kinzo Beachem writes on the cement next to a makeshift memorial for former Lakers player Kobe Bryant at L.A. Live plaza in front of Staples Center. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 43 Fans gather outside Staples Center in Los Angeles to mourn the death of Kobe Bryant after news spread that Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among the nine killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 43 Emergency responders cover remains at the site of the helicopter crash that killed nine people including Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna on Sunday in Calabasas. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 43 From left, Christopher Pena, 33, and his wife Lizbeth, 30, of Pacoima, mourn with Jose Gutierrez, 33, of La Puente, near the site of the Calabasas helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 43 Nancy Fernandez of Van Nuys lights a candle at a memorial for Kobe Bryant at De Anza Park in Calabasas on Sunday. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 43 Fans mourn near Staples Center after learning that Lakers great Kobe Bryant had died. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 43 Mourners huddle at L.A. Live, across from Staples Center, site of the home court of Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 43 A woman kneels at the makeshift memorial to Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 43 A man kisses the ground as Lakers fans gather at a memorial to Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 43 Fans gather around a makeshift memorial to Kobe Bryant at L.A. Live on Sunday evening. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 43 Naima Smith, 37, and Swania Hogue, 48, both of Los Angeles, mourn the loss of Kobe Bryant at a vigil in Leimert Park on Sunday. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 43 Fans gather near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center after learning of the Lakers legend’s death Sunday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 43 A Lakers fan touches a memorial for Kobe Bryant outside the Lakers practice facility in El Segundo on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 43 Mourners gather at the corner of Las Virgenes Road and Willow Glen Street in Calabasas near the site of the helicopter crash. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 43 Naima Smith, 37, lays flowers at a makeshift memorial during a vigil for Kobe Bryant in Leimert Park on Sunday. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 43 Fans stand near a memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center on Sunday after learning of his death in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 43 Naima Smith, 37, center, and other fans mourn the death of Kobe Bryant at a vigil in Leimert Park on Sunday. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 43 Fans stand near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center on Sunday after learning of his death in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 43 A screen at L.A. Live on Sunday displays an image of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant following his death in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 43 Fans gather near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center after learning of the Lakers legend’s death Sunday. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times) 31 / 43 Fans gather near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center after learning of the Lakers legend’s death Sunday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 43 Fans gather near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center after learning of the Lakers legend’s death Sunday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 43 Fans gather near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center after learning of the Lakers legend’s death Sunday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 43 Bryant Hirshman is hugged by his father, Craig, and mother, Elena, near the helicopter crash site in Calabasas that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others Sunday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 43 People gather on Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas near the site of a helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others Sunday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 43 Amanda Gordon and her husband, Philip, mourn the death of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant near the site of a helicopter crash Calabasas that claimed the lives of the Lakers legend, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others Sunday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 43 Jianing Zhang, right, and his girlfriend Cathy Xiao gather with others near the helicopter crash site in Calabasas that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others Sunday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 43 Large Kobe Bryant memorial signs are illuminated at L.A. Live as fans Aldo Luna and his son Ethan of Pomona gather with others paying their respects outside Staples Center. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 43 Lakers fans mourn the death of Kobe Bryant at a makeshift memorial. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 43 Fans post sticky notes paying tribute to Kobe Bryant on a mural of the former NBA superstar outside Shoe Palace on Melrose Avenue in L.A. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 43 Fans gather at a makeshift memorial outside Staples Center to mourn Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 43 Fans gather outside Staples Center at a makeshift memorial to Kobe Bryant. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 43 Kobe Bryant’s No. 8 and No. 24 Lakers jerseys hang in the rafters at Staples Center during preparations for the Grammy Awards on Sunday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Across the country Sunday, public figures, former teammates and fans alike mourned the basketball star.
“Particularly when he was young, to be a part of his life and to watch his career grow, watch him grow, this is one of the most tragic days of my life,” said fellow Lakers legend Jerry West, 81.
West was the general manager for the Lakers in 1996 and maneuvered Bryant’s immediate trade to the Lakers when he was drafted.
“I know somewhere along the way I guess I’ll come to grips with it. But now I have all these different emotions regarding him. The things I watched him do on the basketball court, but more importantly … he was making a difference off the court. It’s so unexplainable. This is going to take a long time for me.”
“Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act,” former President Obama tweeted. “To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents. Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable day.”
It was a sad and surreal scene both in and out of Staples Center on Sunday, where a dress rehearsal for the Grammy Awards was taking place around noon. As word of Bryant’s death swept through the arena, crews worked quickly to move Bryant’s rafter jerseys side by side and masked the other retired jerseys with curtains. By 1 p.m., the switch had been made. No. 8 and No. 24 were side by side, illuminated by floodlights.
News of the crash dominated the rehearsal. Ariana Grande had just finished a lavish performance, and Billie Eilish was about to perform an acoustic song with her brother. But all eyes were on the jerseys at the other end of the floor, as staff and observers watched in disbelief.
Fans gathered across the city to mourn. Outside Staples Center and at L.A. Live, a sea of purple orchids and yellow chrysanthemums formed. Among the crowd packed along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a pattern emerged: purple and yellow and white; 24 and 8 on people’s chests; “BRYANT” emblazoned across their backs.
At the intersection of Hollywood and Highland in Hollywood, a dance crew asked people in the crowd to yell out where they were visiting from — Argentina, Korea, India. “I love you, Black Mamba!” one man shouted.
The ones who couldn’t get to L.A. landmarks mourned online. Some left basketballs outside their homes and posted photos on social media, offering Kobe and Gianna a ball in case they want to play a pickup game in heaven.
If you need a ball for a pickup game in heaven, I left one out for you tonight. #RIPKobe #MambaOut pic.twitter.com/gYhU5KvAjt — CaMeRoN (@rice_cameron) January 27, 2020
On Sunday evening, it was impossible to ignore the city’s heartbreak. Television screens in the Los Angeles International Airport terminal bars were playing footage of the news as travelers paused to stare. Outside, the airport’s pillars were lit up in Lakers purple and gold in honor of Bryant. Downtown, the U.S. Bank Tower shone in the same colors, blocks from Staples Center.
Within half an hour of the news breaking, a Barnes & Noble store in Orange had sold out of all photo books featuring Bryant.
“It’s kind of morose, but people just came in 10 or 15 minutes after we found out about it, “ said Armando Romero, a bookseller at the cash register. He said his general manager announced Bryant’s death to the employees over their wireless headsets. “We knew right away people would be coming.”
Minutes later, Romero said, he received phone calls from customers, asking to put Bryant-related books on hold.
At the Fullerton Mexican restaurant El Camino Real, the staff was “really sad,” said manager Rodolfo Garcia. Bryant patronized the restaurant for 20 years with his wife, a Fullerton native. If he couldn’t come in person, Bryant would have friends get big orders to take back to his Newport Coast home.
“He liked the carnitas and flan,” Garcia said, over the thud of a butcher breaking down carne asada for tacos. “He loved this place because people treated him like a normal person. Kobe would just stand in line, like anyone else. He’d tell us, ‘Don’t treat me like a star; I’m just a customer here.’”
Bryant was born in Philadelphia. His father, Joe, played eight seasons in the 1970s and ’80s for the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers and, in his last stop, the Houston Rockets under then-coach Del Harris. A lighthearted, 6-foot-10 stringbean who went by his Philadelphia playground nickname, Jellybean, Joe Bryant played college ball at La Salle and married Pam Cox, the sister of a starting guard at Villanova. They named their first son Kobe, after the city in Japan.
Bryant excelled at Lower Merion High in Ardmore, Pa., near Philadelphia, winning numerous national awards as a senior before announcing his intention to skip college and enter the NBA draft. He was selected 13th overall by Charlotte in 1996, but the Lakers had already worked out a deal with the Hornets to acquire Bryant before his selection.
Bryant impressed Lakers general manager Jerry West during a pre-draft workout session in Los Angeles. Less than three weeks later, the Lakers traded starting center Vlade Divac to the Hornets in exchange for Bryant’s rights. Bryant, whose favorite team growing up was the Lakers, had to have his parents co-sign his NBA contract because he was 17 years old.
The 6-foot-6 guard made his pro debut in the 1996-97 season opener against Minnesota; at the time he was the youngest player to appear in an NBA game. He started in only a handful of games during his rookie season, coming off the bench in support of Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones. However, Harris played him more as the season progressed, allowing Bryant to showcase his skills, which were on display when he won the 1997 NBA slam dunk competition.
Bryant continued to improve during his sophomore season in the league, averaging 15.4 points per game. But his breakout came in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season when he started in all 50 games after the Lakers traded away Van Exel and Jones.
The crash site in Calabasas where Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among nine people killed Sunday. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times )
Bryant and leading scorer Shaquille O’Neal quickly morphed into one of the most lethal scoring and defensive combinations in the league. Together, with coach Phil Jackson guiding them, they led the Lakers to three consecutive championships (2000-02) as Bryant began to cement his place as the game’s top player.
“There’s no words to express the pain I’m going through with this tragedy of loosing my neice Gigi & my brother,” O’Neal tweeted Sunday. “I love u and u will be missed. My condolences goes out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers on board. IM SICK RIGHT NOW.”
Despite coming together to win some of the most closely fought playoff series in Lakers history, friction started to develop between Bryant and O’Neal. Tension between the two stars continued to build during the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons as the Lakers failed to capitalize on their status as top contenders for the NBA title. Making matters worse, Bryant was arrested in July 2003 on allegations of sexual assault.
The charges were eventually dropped, but Bryant’s reputation took a hit and he settled a civil lawsuit with the accuser. In exchange for not testifying in the criminal case, the accuser negotiated an apology letter from Bryant that read, in part, “Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual … I now understand how she sincerely feels that she did not consent.”
After the Lakers lost to Detroit in the NBA Finals with a star-studded team that included Karl Malone and Gary Payton, O’Neal was traded to Miami and Jackson’s coaching contract was not renewed. As the team’s undisputed leader, Bryant signed a seven-year contract to remain with the team.
Bryant summed up the tensions between him and O’Neal after the Lakers won the NBA title in 2009: “We’re great as individuals, but … it’s probably the first dynamic duo that had two alpha males on one team. We managed to make it work for three championships.”
Bryant posted some of the best offensive numbers of his career over the next three seasons, but the team struggled, failing to make the playoffs in 2005 before suffering consecutive first-round defeats to Phoenix in 2006 and 2007. Jackson returned to the team for the 2005-06 season, and Bryant went on to lead the league in scoring that season with a career-best 35.4 average. He scored 40 points or more in 27 games and became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1964 to finish with 45 points or more in four consecutive games.
His biggest single-game achievement came Jan. 22, 2006, against Toronto when he scored a career-high 81 points, the second most in NBA history. Earlier that season, on Dec. 20, 2005, he scored 62 points in 33 minutes through three quarters of a game against Dallas; he had outscored the entire Mavericks team, 62-61, entering the final quarter, in which Bryant did not play. Bryant continued to impress during the 2006-07 season, scoring 50 or more points in a team-record 10 games and averaging 31.6 points a game to capture his second NBA scoring title.
Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was at that game, he said in a Twitter video Sunday. “It is something that I will always remember as one of the highlights of the things that I have learned and observed in sports.”
“He was an incredible athlete and a leader in a lot of ways. He inspired a whole generation of young athletes. He was one of the first ones to leave high school and come into the NBA and do so well, dominating the game and becoming one of the best scorers that the Los Angeles Lakers has ever seen,” Abdul-Jabbar said.
“He is the No. 1 player in the league, by far,” Washington guard Gilbert Arenas said in 2006. “With a player like him, he just wants that challenge. He’s just that fierce competitor. He doesn’t want to get out-showed. He’s the one who everybody’s afraid of.”
Bryant’s 2007-08 NBA MVP season got off to a tumultuous start after he reportedly demanded to be traded. He was reportedly unhappy with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and Jackson. “I would like to be traded,” Bryant said during a radio interview. “Tough as it is to come to that conclusion, there’s no other alternative. It’s rough, man, but I don’t see how you can rebuild that trust. I just don’t know how you can move forward in that type of situation.”
Bryant eventually backtracked on his trade demands and posted perhaps his best all-around season, leading a team re-energized by Pau Gasol’s arrival from Memphis in February 2008 to a first-place finish in the Western Conference. The Lakers embarked on a memorable playoff run before losing to Boston in the Finals. Later that year, Bryant went on to win a gold medal with the U.S. team at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
With Bryant pleased about the direction the team was heading, he guided the Lakers to back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010. He was named the NBA Finals MVP both years as the team once again ascended to the top of the NBA.
Ongoing soreness in Bryant’s knee and ankle coupled with the team’s heavy reliance in him played a role in the Lakers’ championship run coming to an end in 2011. Bryant posted his lowest points per game totals since the 2003-04 season as he dealt with the aftereffects of offseason arthroscopic knee surgery. He went on to win his fourth NBA All-Star Game most-valuable-player award but fell short of his ultimate goal of winning a sixth NBA title. Bryant also became the youngest player in NBA history to amass 27,000 career points.
Bryant finished third in league scoring in 2011-12 despite dealing with ongoing knee and ankle issues. In January 2012, he scored at least 40 points in four consecutive games, which included a 48-point effort against the Phoenix Suns.
Following the team’s acquisition of Dwight Howard in August 2012, the Lakers were regarded as a favorite for the NBA title. However, friction between Bryant and Howard started to develop as the team struggled. Despite this, Bryant led the NBA in scoring for much of the first half of the season and surpassed Chamberlain for fourth all-time in league scoring. But Bryant’s season came to a disappointing end when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon against the Golden State Warriors on April 10. The injury and subsequent surgery prevented Bryant from playing in the early portion of the 2013-14 season.
Bryant, who signed a two-year, $48.5-million contract extension with the Lakers before the start of the 2013-14 season, did not return from injury until December. He played in only six games before suffering a lateral tibial plateau fracture in his left knee. The injury forced him to miss the remainder of the season as the Lakers limped to a 27-55 record, missing the playoffs for only the second time since Bryant joined the franchise.
He retired from the NBA but began a new career in Hollywood.
In 2018, he won an Oscar along with director Glen Keane for the animated short film “Dear Basketball.”
Just Saturday night, Laker LeBron James passed Bryant for third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Allen Kenitzer, an FAA spokesman, said his agency and the National Transportation Safety Board were investigating the helicopter crash.
By evening, so many Kobe Bryant fans have converged on the Calabasas area that authorities have restricted the area to residents only.
L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said people have flooded into the area of the crash, some going into residential neighborhoods and trying to get to the remote hillside where the helicopter went down. He said the traffic was making it harder for investigators and emergency personnel to do their jobs.
“It is off limits to everybody,” he said of the crash site, noting that the Federal Aviation Administration has a 5-mile no-fly zone around it up to altitudes of 5,000 feet. “People, stay away.”
Times staff writers Paul Pringle Gale Holland, Marisa Gerber, Nathan Fenno, David Carrillo, Michael DiGiovanna, Matthew Ormsth, Priscilla Vega, Chris Erskine, Alex Wigglesworth, Broderick Turner, Cindy Carcamo and Gustavo Arellano contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-26--With coronavirus spreading, U.S. evacuating personnel to San Francisco from Wuhan, China

The U.S. State Department announced Sunday that it planned to evacuate personnel stationed in Wuhan , China , to San Francisco because of the coronavirus outbreak .
Officials are “ making arrangements to relocate its personnel stationed at the U.S. Consulate General in Wuhan to the United States .
We anticipate that there will be limited capacity to transport private U.S. citizens on a reimbursable basis on a single flight leaving Wuhan Tianhe International Airport on January 28 , 2020 and proceeding directly to San Francisco , ” the State Department said in a statement .
The news comes as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus .
The Orange County Health Care Agency confirmed late Saturday night that the infected person ’ s virus was the same strain as the one that has spread to more than 2,000 people and 14 countries and territories and caused 56 deaths since it was discovered late last month in central China .
Two other cases have been diagnosed in the U.S. , one in Washington state and one in Chicago .
The patient is in good condition and is in isolation at a hospital , Orange County health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with anyone who has had close contact with the patient , but also noted that people with casual contact — such as visiting the same grocery store or movie theater — “ are at minimal risk of developing infection.
” The new strain of coronavirus , known as 2019-nCoV , can cause respiratory illness and pneumonia .
It was originally thought to be spreading from only animals to people in central China , but there are now indications it is also spreading among people .
In people who are young and healthy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severe illness , with symptoms including fever , coughing and shortness of breath .
Most of the dozens of deaths tied to the coronavirus to date have been in the central Chinese province of Hubei , of which Wuhan is the capital .
Health experts in the United States have said there ’ s no evidence to suggest the new coronavirus is any more virulent than the flu .
As of Friday , 18 people between the ages 3 to 58 had been tested for the virus in California , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included a traveler who arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on a flight from Mexico City and was taken to a hospital early Thursday for an evaluation .
Dr. Sonia Angell , director of the California Department of Public Health , said that the immediate health risk to the general public in California is low , based on current information , but that the department is carefully monitoring the virus and considers it “ a serious public health concern.
” Besides the Orange County case , only two other people have tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — a man in Washington state and a woman in Illinois .

A Chinese passenger arriving on the last bullet train from Wuhan to Beijing on Thursday is checked for a fever by a health worker at a railway station in Beijing.
The U.S. State Department announced Sunday that it planned to evacuate personnel stationed in Wuhan, China, to San Francisco because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Officials are “making arrangements to relocate its personnel stationed at the U.S. Consulate General in Wuhan to the United States. We anticipate that there will be limited capacity to transport private U.S. citizens on a reimbursable basis on a single flight leaving Wuhan Tianhe International Airport on January 28, 2020 and proceeding directly to San Francisco,” the State Department said in a statement.
The news comes as California is dealing with its first case of the virus.
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The Orange County Health Care Agency confirmed late Saturday night that the infected person’s virus was the same strain as the one that has spread to more than 2,000 people and 14 countries and territories and caused 56 deaths since it was discovered late last month in central China. Two other cases have been diagnosed in the U.S., one in Washington state and one in Chicago.
The patient is in good condition and is in isolation at a hospital, Orange County health officials said. Health authorities are following up with anyone who has had close contact with the patient, but also noted that people with casual contact — such as visiting the same grocery store or movie theater — “are at minimal risk of developing infection.”
The new strain of coronavirus, known as 2019-nCoV, can cause respiratory illness and pneumonia. It was originally thought to be spreading from only animals to people in central China, but there are now indications it is also spreading among people.
In people who are young and healthy, the virus does not seem to cause severe illness, with symptoms including fever, coughing and shortness of breath. Most of the dozens of deaths tied to the coronavirus to date have been in the central Chinese province of Hubei, of which Wuhan is the capital.
Health experts in the United States have said there’s no evidence to suggest the new coronavirus is any more virulent than the flu.
As of Friday, 18 people between the ages 3 to 58 had been tested for the virus in California, according to the state Department of Public Health. They included a traveler who arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on a flight from Mexico City and was taken to a hospital early Thursday for an evaluation.
Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the California Department of Public Health, said in a video statement last week that the immediate health risk to the general public in California is low, based on current information, but that the department is carefully monitoring the virus and considers it “a serious public health concern.”
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latimes--2020-01-26--Coronavirus spreads to Los Angeles, Orange County: How concerned should we be about spread?

Los Angeles and Orange County health officials are dealing with their first cases of a patient with the new strain of coronavirus .
But they are stressing that there is no evidence the virus has been spread beyond the two patients .
Q : What do we know about Orange County patient ?
The Orange County recently visited the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan , China .
The patient is in good condition and is in isolation at a hospital .
They are following up with anyone who has had close contact with the patient , but also noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as visiting the same grocery store or movie theater — “ are at minimal risk of developing infection.
” “ The risk of local transmission remains low , ” officials said .
While officials were waiting to hear lab confirmation of the virus , the patient was instructed on how to reduce exposing the virus to others .
Q : How about the L.A. case ?
This patient was also in Wuhan recently .
“ The infected person presented themselves for care once they noticed that they were not feeling well and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no immediate threat to the general public , no special precautions are required , and people should not be excluded from activities based on their race , country of origin , or recent travel if they do not have symptoms of respiratory illness , ” officials said in a statement .
Are these the first California cases ?
As of Friday , 18 people between the ages 3 to 58 had been tested for the virus in California , according to the state Department of Public Health .
They included a traveler who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a flight from Mexico City and was taken to a hospital early Thursday for an evaluation .
Dr. Sonia Angell , director of the California Department of Public Health , said that the immediate health risk to the general public in California is low , based on current information , but that the department is carefully monitoring the virus and considers it “ a serious public health concern.
” What is the virus ?
It ’ s a new type of that scientists have not seen before .
Coronaviruses circulate in a variety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ types can cause common colds .
Others have evolved into severe illnesses like ( SARS ) and ( MERS ) .
The virus at the center of the outbreak in China emerged as a pneumonia-like illness .
Most of the people who got sick had a link to a large seafood and live animal market in Wuhan , suggesting that it had jumped from animals to humans , said , director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
The market was closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became more concerned about the outbreak when cases were detected in Thailand and Japan among people who had recently visited Wuhan .
Health authorities worldwide are now adopting various strategies , including airport screenings , in an effort to contain the virus ’ spread .
How concerned are experts about the spread in the U.S. ?
“ Don ’ t panic unless you ’ re paid to panic , ” said , an epidemiologist at UC Riverside who has studied many deadly outbreaks .
“ Public health workers should be on the lookout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide resources .
Transmitting timely facts to the public is key , ” Brown said .
“ But for everyone else : Breathe.
” More than three weeks into the outbreak that has caused 56 deaths and spread to at least 2,000 people in 14 countries and territories , scientists have learned some important things about the virus .
It is a coronavirus with such symptoms as fever and difficulty with breathing in people who are young and healthy .
Many of the deaths tied to the coronavirus to date have been in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old with underlying medical problems or weakened immune systems , Chinese officials said .
“ We don ’ t have evidence yet to suggest this is any more virulent than the flu you see in the U.S. each year , ” said , an epidemiology researcher at Harvard ’ s T.H .
Chan School of Public Health .
“ Most people , with proper medical attention , will do just fine .
”

Rong-Gong Lin II, Alex Wigglesworth, Emily Baumgaertner

Chinese passengers wear masks at the Beijing railway station on Friday. The outbreak of coronavirus has so far spread from China to the U.S., Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan.
Los Angeles and Orange County health officials are dealing with their first cases of a patient with the new strain of coronavirus. But they are stressing that there is no evidence the virus has been spread beyond the two patients.
What do we know about Orange County patient?
The Orange County recently visited the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan, China.
The patient is in good condition and is in isolation at a hospital.
They are following up with anyone who has had close contact with the patient, but also noted that people with casual contact — such as visiting the same grocery store or movie theater — “are at minimal risk of developing infection.”
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“The risk of local transmission remains low,” officials said. While officials were waiting to hear lab confirmation of the virus, the patient was instructed on how to reduce exposing the virus to others.
How about the L.A. case?
This patient was also in Wuhan recently.
“The infected person presented themselves for care once they noticed that they were not feeling well and is currently receiving medical treatment. There is no immediate threat to the general public, no special precautions are required, and people should not be excluded from activities based on their race, country of origin, or recent travel if they do not have symptoms of respiratory illness,” officials said in a statement.
Are these the first California cases?
Yes.
As of Friday, 18 people between the ages 3 to 58 had been tested for the virus in California, according to the state Department of Public Health. They included a traveler who arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on a flight from Mexico City and was taken to a hospital early Thursday for an evaluation.
Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the California Department of Public Health, said in a video statement last week that the immediate health risk to the general public in California is low, based on current information, but that the department is carefully monitoring the virus and considers it “a serious public health concern.”
What is the virus?
It’s a new type of coronavirus that scientists have not seen before.
Coronaviruses circulate in a variety of animals, including humans. Some types can cause common colds. Others have evolved into severe illnesses like severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
The virus at the center of the outbreak in China emerged as a pneumonia-like illness. Most of the people who got sick had a link to a large seafood and live animal market in Wuhan, suggesting that it had jumped from animals to humans, said Dr. Nancy Messonnier , director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The market was closed earlier this month for disinfection.
Officials became more concerned about the outbreak when cases were detected in Thailand and Japan among people who had recently visited Wuhan. Health authorities worldwide are now adopting various strategies, including airport screenings, in an effort to contain the virus’ spread.
How concerned are experts about the spread in the U.S.?
“Don’t panic unless you’re paid to panic,” said Brandon Brown , an epidemiologist at UC Riverside who has studied many deadly outbreaks.
Advertisement
“Public health workers should be on the lookout. The government should be ready to provide resources. Transmitting timely facts to the public is key,” Brown said. “But for everyone else: Breathe.”
More than three weeks into the outbreak that has caused 56 deaths and spread to at least 2,000 people in 14 countries and territories, scientists have learned some important things about the virus.
It is a coronavirus with such symptoms as fever and difficulty with breathing in people who are young and healthy. Many of the deaths tied to the coronavirus to date have been in people who were at least 50 years old with underlying medical problems or weakened immune systems, Chinese officials said.


latimes--2020-01-26--Malibu wants to ban overnight parking on Pacific Coast Highway. Will the state allow it?

Nidia Greiss pulled her Dodgers cap low over her eyes , squinting at a pair of tourists posed atop the lifeguard tower at Malibu ’ s Las Tunas Beach — the consummate # California shot .
Her husband , an Army veteran with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan , perched on the bumper of their spotless Jeep Renegade , watching traffic on Pacific Coast Highway .
Las Tunas is less a beach than a backdrop .
They ’ ve been here since August , living just out of frame .
“ We were used to a comfortable life , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Santa Monica for four years , but our apartment had mold and we broke ties with our landlord .
It was too quick to find another place.
” The couple are among the more than 16,500 Angelenos who bed down in cars , vans and campers across the county every night .
But legal spots are scarce .
Last summer , the Los Angeles City Council a ban on sleeping in vehicles on all residential streets , as well as on major thoroughfares near parks , schools and daycare facilities .
Now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ In my neighborhood , we have all these burned-out people , all these poor citizens who are paying their taxes , and they had to get a special permit to get a camper just to camp on their own land , ” Malibu resident Cathey Cadieux told the City Council at its January meeting .
“ And yet we ’ ve got these people ... parked in front of Zuma Beach , and they ’ re just living there for free.
” Battered RVs and well-used camper vans have dotted the highway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new encampments sprang up suddenly in Malibu after the L.A. County Department Public Works posted late-night parking restrictions on the city ’ s eastern border in November , making it functionally illegal to sleep there for more than a few hours at a time .
“ It ’ s night and day , ” Malibu City Councilman Mikke Pierson said of the change .
“ Las Tunas Beach is just one giant village at this point.
” The homeless population in Malibu remains relatively small , though it has grown in recent years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 154 unsheltered people , about 100 of them living in vehicles .
Most were concentrated in the area around the Malibu Pier .
By contrast , the tract that includes Las Tunas was barely a blip , with a homeless population that hovered in the single digits .
Last year , volunteers counted four people .
Ten times that many are living there now .
Similar encampments exist up and down the route , as coastal communities from Laguna Beach to Fort Bragg reckon with California ’ s homelessness crisis .
But Highway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It hugs the city ’ s glittering shoreline , framing its most treasured views .
Residents flooded the council , imploring the city to have the encampments removed .
“ We basically have people homesteading on the beach areas , ” resident Doug Stewart told the council at its January meeting .
“ We ’ re precluding the purpose of beach access , and that is let the citizens go visit the beach.
” Council members said they would love to do more .
But only Caltrans can impose parking restrictions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the approval of the California Coastal Commission .
The agency ’ s mandate is the zealous defense of public beach access , and since March , its decisions must also weigh environmental justice .
Pushing caravans of mostly indigent people from the seaside runs afoul of both , state officials said .
“ One of the major issues that the Coastal Commission brought up [ in October ] was the concern about displacing people who are homeless and affecting lower-cost access to the coast , ” said Malibu City Planning Director Bonnie Blue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ path that will allow us to solve this problem — even if it ’ s incremental — that will hopefully not get hung up in a round of appeals.
” Malibu officials contend that those living on the highway are not homeless locals but out-of-state surfers and penny-saving snowbirds , and that the encampments themselves block public access to the beach .
“ It ’ s the ultimate irony that the Coastal Commission ’ s focus is on coastal access , which is now being blocked bumper to bumper from one end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Karen Farrer said .
“ But I fear [ imposing restrictions ] from one end of Malibu to the other , because if that gets turned down , we ’ re just back to square one.
” An incremental route may still have roadblocks .
L.A. County spent two years in appeals to get a pair of alternating two-hour limits on less than a mile of pavement .
Malibu ’ s share of the highway is almost 30 times that long .
“ It seems like we ’ re getting screwed over by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Skylar Peak said at the hearing .
“ They got us on this one.
” Those living on the side of the road said they felt equally trapped .
“ This is all we have left , ” said Sharon Bodine , 40 , who has lived on PCH for months .
“ If we ’ re not breaking laws , leave us alone.
” About 50 people were camped along the highway ’ s seaward shoulder at Las Tunas on a recent weekday morning .
One , Mike Picone of Buffalo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the winter and preferred the Malibu roadside to the Santa Monica RV park .
“ I did this years ago — I had no idea it was looked at as like a step away from homelessness now , ” the visitor said .
“ In the ‘ 90s , it was nothing like this.
” His RV was one of several vehicles with out-of-state plates , though few of his neighbors could be called tourists .
“ I sent a picture and told my daughter that I have Malibu oceanfront property , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Libertyville , Ill. , who recently gave up her beloved Great Dane to shelter another homeless family in the truck where she lives .
Greiss joked she and her husband chose Las Tunas over the West L.A. Veterans Affairs campus for its breathtaking views .
But others said the highway was an avenue of last resort .
“ I was parked in the neighborhood [ in Santa Monica ] , but the cops told me to go to PCH , ” said Norma , an immigrant and a surfer who splits her time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Toyota Tercel .
“ This spot has to be protected for people who live here .
Where else am I supposed to go ?
” Residents , too , worried about moving the caravans from an area that is essentially uninhabited to a more popular part of Malibu .
“ I feel this is going to push the encampments , ” resident Keegan Gibbs told the City Council ahead of a vote earlier this month .
“ They ’ re parked in ultimately the most ideal area right now , where there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t even have a beach that you can visit , or at least dry sand.
” The city voted to authorize overnight parking restrictions along a quarter-mile section of the highway at Las Tunas , and a similar stretch near the Malibu Pier , with plans to add sections of Corral Beach , Westward Beach and Zuma .
As with the unincorporated county , the ordinance would forbid parking between midnight and 2 a.m. on the inland side of the highway , and from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. on the coastal side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Coastal Commission will see those as the same .
Los Angeles County was able to secure its restrictions in part because it funds “ safe parking ” sites , where people can legally sleep in their cars .
Though the program has space for fewer than 3 % of the people who need it , Malibu has no provisions for vehicle dwellers at all .
“ We have to make a stand at some point , ” Pierson said .
“ If we don ’ t , I very strongly suspect that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do it for us.
” For now , the highway remains a refuge .
“ It ’ s probably going to be more of a growing subculture as people can ’ t afford rent , ” said Picone , the Buffalo tourist .
“ I ’ ve been here 3½ weeks , and there ’ s guys that have been here the whole time .
Why the hell would you want to leave once you ’ ve found this spot ?
”

Nidia Greiss, 39, and her husband live out of their vehicle parked on Pacific Coast Highway at Las Tunas Beach in eastern Malibu.
Nidia Greiss pulled her Dodgers cap low over her eyes, squinting at a pair of tourists posed atop the lifeguard tower at Malibu’s Las Tunas Beach — the consummate #California shot.
Her husband, an Army veteran with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, perched on the bumper of their spotless Jeep Renegade, watching traffic on Pacific Coast Highway. Las Tunas is less a beach than a backdrop. They’ve been here since August, living just out of frame.
“We were used to a comfortable life,” Greiss said. “We lived in Santa Monica for four years, but our apartment had mold and we broke ties with our landlord. It was too quick to find another place.”
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The couple are among the more than 16,500 Angelenos who bed down in cars, vans and campers across the county every night. But legal spots are scarce. Last summer, the Los Angeles City Council voted to reimpose a ban on sleeping in vehicles on all residential streets, as well as on major thoroughfares near parks, schools and daycare facilities. Now, Malibu wants them off Highway 1.
“In my neighborhood, we have all these burned-out people, all these poor citizens who are paying their taxes, and they had to get a special permit to get a camper just to camp on their own land,” Malibu resident Cathey Cadieux told the City Council at its January meeting. “And yet we’ve got these people ... parked in front of Zuma Beach, and they’re just living there for free.”
Battered RVs and well-used camper vans have dotted the highway for years. But officials say large new encampments sprang up suddenly in Malibu after the L.A. County Department Public Works posted late-night parking restrictions on the city’s eastern border in November, making it functionally illegal to sleep there for more than a few hours at a time.
“It’s night and day,” Malibu City Councilman Mikke Pierson said of the change. “Las Tunas Beach is just one giant village at this point.”
Recreational vehicles and other cars in which people are living fill the shoulder along Pacific Coast Highway at Las Tunas County Beach. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
The homeless population in Malibu remains relatively small, though it has grown in recent years. In 2019, the county identified 154 unsheltered people, about 100 of them living in vehicles. Most were concentrated in the area around the Malibu Pier.
By contrast, the tract that includes Las Tunas was barely a blip, with a homeless population that hovered in the single digits. Last year, volunteers counted four people. Ten times that many are living there now.
Advertisement
Similar encampments exist up and down the route, as coastal communities from Laguna Beach to Fort Bragg reckon with California’s homelessness crisis. But Highway 1 is Malibu’s arterial road. It hugs the city’s glittering shoreline, framing its most treasured views. Residents flooded the council, imploring the city to have the encampments removed.
“We basically have people homesteading on the beach areas,” resident Doug Stewart told the council at its January meeting. “We’re precluding the purpose of beach access, and that is let the citizens go visit the beach.”
Council members said they would love to do more. But only Caltrans can impose parking restrictions on Pacific Coast Highway, and only with the approval of the California Coastal Commission. The agency’s mandate is the zealous defense of public beach access, and since March, its decisions must also weigh environmental justice. Pushing caravans of mostly indigent people from the seaside runs afoul of both, state officials said.
“One of the major issues that the Coastal Commission brought up [in October] was the concern about displacing people who are homeless and affecting lower-cost access to the coast,” said Malibu City Planning Director Bonnie Blue. “We are looking for a path that will allow us to solve this problem — even if it’s incremental — that will hopefully not get hung up in a round of appeals.”
Malibu officials contend that those living on the highway are not homeless locals but out-of-state surfers and penny-saving snowbirds, and that the encampments themselves block public access to the beach.
“It’s the ultimate irony that the Coastal Commission’s focus is on coastal access, which is now being blocked bumper to bumper from one end of Malibu to the other,” Mayor Karen Farrer said. “But I fear [imposing restrictions] from one end of Malibu to the other, because if that gets turned down, we’re just back to square one.”
An incremental route may still have roadblocks. L.A. County spent two years in appeals to get a pair of alternating two-hour limits on less than a mile of pavement. Malibu’s share of the highway is almost 30 times that long.
“It seems like we’re getting screwed over by the Coastal Commission,” City Councilman Skylar Peak said at the hearing. “They got us on this one.”
Those living on the side of the road said they felt equally trapped.
“This is all we have left,” said Sharon Bodine, 40, who has lived on PCH for months. “If we’re not breaking laws, leave us alone.”
Sharon Bodine plays her ukulele where she lives in her vehicle parked along Pacific Coast Highway at Las Tunas County Beach. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
About 50 people were camped along the highway’s seaward shoulder at Las Tunas on a recent weekday morning. One, Mike Picone of Buffalo, N.Y., said he was traveling for the winter and preferred the Malibu roadside to the Santa Monica RV park.
“I did this years ago — I had no idea it was looked at as like a step away from homelessness now,” the visitor said. “In the ‘90s, it was nothing like this.”
His RV was one of several vehicles with out-of-state plates, though few of his neighbors could be called tourists.
“I sent a picture and told my daughter that I have Malibu oceanfront property,” said Elizabeth Dobbs, 54, of Libertyville, Ill., who recently gave up her beloved Great Dane to shelter another homeless family in the truck where she lives.
Greiss joked she and her husband chose Las Tunas over the West L.A. Veterans Affairs campus for its breathtaking views. But others said the highway was an avenue of last resort.
“I was parked in the neighborhood [in Santa Monica], but the cops told me to go to PCH,” said Norma, an immigrant and a surfer who splits her time between friends’ couches and her antiquated Toyota Tercel. “This spot has to be protected for people who live here. Where else am I supposed to go?”
Elizabeth Dobbs and Anthony Augustyniak take in the view outside their vehicle where they live parked along Pacific Coast Highway at Las Tunas County Beach. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Residents, too, worried about moving the caravans from an area that is essentially uninhabited to a more popular part of Malibu.
“I feel this is going to push the encampments,” resident Keegan Gibbs told the City Council ahead of a vote earlier this month. “They’re parked in ultimately the most ideal area right now, where there are no residents. Las Tunas doesn’t even have a beach that you can visit, or at least dry sand.”
The city voted to authorize overnight parking restrictions along a quarter-mile section of the highway at Las Tunas, and a similar stretch near the Malibu Pier, with plans to add sections of Corral Beach, Westward Beach and Zuma.
As with the unincorporated county, the ordinance would forbid parking between midnight and 2 a.m. on the inland side of the highway, and from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. on the coastal side.
It’s not clear whether the Coastal Commission will see those as the same.
Los Angeles County was able to secure its restrictions in part because it funds “safe parking” sites, where people can legally sleep in their cars. Though the program has space for fewer than 3% of the people who need it, Malibu has no provisions for vehicle dwellers at all.
“We have to make a stand at some point,” Pierson said. “If we don’t, I very strongly suspect that the state or the federal government will do it for us.”
For now, the highway remains a refuge.
“It’s probably going to be more of a growing subculture as people can’t afford rent,” said Picone, the Buffalo tourist. “I’ve been here 3½ weeks, and there’s guys that have been here the whole time. Why the hell would you want to leave once you’ve found this spot?”