CALABASAS, CA. (THECOUNT) — In the wake of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash tragedy, former Laker Rick Fox got caught up in the frenzied speculation after being named by several news outlets as one of the passenger aboard the doomed helicopter.
During early reporting of the crash, which took the life of nine people, including Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter “Gigi,” Fox somehow was reported to be one of the victims. That assersion has since proven false after Fox himself confirmed that he was not involved.
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“At this time, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has only revealed that there were nine people on the helicopter at the time of the crash. Those people have not yet been identified, though various sources have confirmed that Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among them. Separate reporting has also confirmed that John Altobelli, a baseball coach at Orange Coast College, was aboard the helicopter alongside his wife, Keri, and daughter, Alyssa.”
Despite the falsehood of the rumor, Fox is still trending on Twitter as of this writing. While tracing the belief back to its source would be impossible at this point, the mere fact that his name became entangled with Bryant’s death prematurely points to the irresponsible manner in which some reporters have handled the news.
A number of falsehoods about passengers on board the helicopter have spread through social media, reports CBSSPORTS.
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