Kobe Bryant Dies in Helicopter Crash

I originally saw this headline on Doug Ellin's Instagram page and immediately thought it was a hoax. It has to be, right? Just your typical Internet hoax of a major celebrity dying.

It's not though. At least according to TMZ. Even as I'm writing this, a piece of me still believes this isn't true.

Rather than me try to add anything to the story of the crash, here is exactly what TMZ has on their page.

Kobe Bryant died in a helicoper crash in Calabasas Sunday morning ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Kobe was traveling with at least 3 other people in his private helicopter when it went down. A fire broke out. Emergency personnel responded, but nobody on board survived. 5 people are confirmed dead. We're told Vanessa Bryant was not among those on board.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Seriously, this still has to be fake, right? I had a major love/hate relationship with Kobe Bryant when he was in the league. He was an absolute force on the court that broke my heart my as a Trailblazer fan more times than I can think of. I hated it when it dominated, but I always knew I was watching something special.

RIP Kobe...