to the sky in sight going to go up to the sky in sight can you do an interview, but they did in the way basketball developed at the olympics was you can go back to the way it was with amateur teams and a match between the usa and the soviet union back in the day, but at that time there was a sense of bring the stars in and have them represent the stars in and have them represent the usa rather than theirfranchises and they took advantage of that but with their strong personalities buying into a team ethic. joe, stay with us, we will talk to roland lazenby, the author of the book showboat, the life of kobe bryant. hejoins us now showboat, the life of kobe bryant. he joins us now from the blue showboat, the life of kobe bryant. hejoins us now from the blue ridge mountains in virginia. thank you for talking to us, i'm sorry it's under these circumstances.

tell us about your book, tell us about kobe bryant, showboat, why did you choose that as a title? because that was the nickname shakeel o'neill, his team—mate in los angeles, when there are both young players, that was the nickname he gave him because of his flashy style of play, his love of dunking, just everything that came from kobe's own father. —— his team—mate shaquille. and the nickname summed up so many things about who kobe was, and it was a difficult combination because he was a showman, and he loved the spotlight but he was such a fierce, fierce competitor. far more a competitor than a showman. but both of those things, that was his family lineage. and so it... it was

appropriate because this is an in—depth biography, i was writing, andi in—depth biography, i was writing, and i wanted to... some people misunderstood the title but i wanted to incorporate so much of his father's influence on him, he grew up father's influence on him, he grew up in the italian league, where his father was playing, riding on the buses, in the italian league after his father had played eight years in the nba, and how they was a 12—year—old kid and he would look at those guys on the bus including his father and tell him he was going to be better than all of them. and he just had the purest, and i've been writing about professional basketball in america for decades, i've interviewed just about

everybody, and kobe bryant had the purest competitive spirit of the group and i've written several hundred page book on michaeljordan, spent lots of time at the height was larry bird and magicjohnson, i'm writing a biography on magic now, and they're all writing a biography on magic now, and they‘ re all amazing. writing a biography on magic now, and they're all amazing. of these top competitors in sport. they're all amazing in so ways, but kobe brya nt all amazing in so ways, but kobe bryant was such a mix of competitive spirit and creative nature. he loved to write, he cared deeply about that. but he said those things aside because the number one thing on his agenda, and there is only room for one, was basketball. and he was bold enough and brave enough to announce, and foolish enough that he would be the greatest. and he did everything

possible, humanly possible, to deliver on that promise. roland, my colleague, one of our sports correspondence is here, he'd like to talk to you. one of the ways we american basketball players, home —— having developed their profile in some ways in recent years, as they develop an active profile of the social issues in the usa, and i've got the impression of the nba has encouraged that in recent years. was still a young man. i wonder what you think he would or could have done next? —— kobe was still a young what could he have achieved? he was working away at being a producer, taking his ideas as a writer, he had begun working to need his ideas into a series of books. he had a very broad agenda. he had his business

interests. he... itamazed me because he was this guy, so many people, his coaches, team—mates, a lwa ys people, his coaches, team—mates, always worried because i mean, it's likely tell be at the end of the 1999 season, i was walking out of the forum in los angeles, the lakers had just lost, and i asked him, kobe, what are you going to do this summer? and he stopped and looked at me and said, basketball. there there's nothing else. and he really had that monastic approach. he was locked in. he had other things, he was a man of many gifts, he was just a kid when i met him, but he was... he was amazing. and i must say, my biography of him is very balanced.

i'm not saying these things out of some. . . i'm not saying these things out of some... worshipful approach. i'm just speaking directly. you know, like all of us, he had his shortcomings, he had an ability to generate conflict, just with the nature of his drive. and he came into much conflict over the course of his career, but it was... it was not petty stuff, not to him. his conflicts came out of his desire, his relentless push to be the best. how difficult was it for him, given that for him there was only one focus, it was only basketball, for him to actually retire in 2016?” think that... you know, i'm a

biographer, i cannot know his heart. but i think it was easier for him because he he'd left no stone unturned. there was no room for him to have regret. he had begun planning for this. he even had all the jerseys and different items ready for sale on his very last game, where he scored 60 points, and an unbelievable comeback. because his last it was not pretty, but he had all of the gear ready to sell on that last night! —— his last season was not pretty. and he scored 60 points to prime the marketplace, i should say. but he had so many plans for the b had been developing as corporations. he was not a person

who set a —— sat around lost like so many professional athletes are. he had his whole future mapped out. he had his whole future mapped out. he had stories he wanted to tell, things he wanted to do. he loved his daughters, love coaching, he was... he was stepping into light, not likely, but with that full stride. —— not lately. likely, but with that full stride. -- not lately. you mentioned his creativity, he won an oscar for a short film a couple of years ago, and also this sort of domestic element to basketball in the bryant family, you mentioned his dad playing in italy, and he's been seen at some games i think with his eldest daughter, he leaves behind four daughters, the youngest of him was only born, his wife only gave birth to her last summer, which makes the story even more devastating, that that little girl will grow up without knowing him.

it's heartbreaking. but it was a dynasty for them, his daughter also showing great promise. and, you know, i think kobe enjoy that thoroughly. it's very hard for pa rents thoroughly. it's very hard for parents not to supplant their own desires for their children. and yet... i think kobe was happy for his daughter, who thoroughly loved basketball. i don't think he wanted to shove things onto people that they didn't truly care about. so kobe had his flaws. it's been tough to discuss him in many ways here in america, since he was charged with rape in 2003. under that change the arc of so many things for him. —— and that changed the arc of so many

things. and it made it very hard to sometimes have public commentary, because there were people angry, very angry, understandably angry. and so the matter was settled out of the criminal courts here. but... his comeback from that, he almost literally destroyed his career in a period there their resolve of the conflict coming out of that. he had had plenty before but the thing that amazed me over the arc of the book i wrote about him was his effort to rebuild his professional life. wrote about him was his effort to rebuild his professional lifelj think some of us in the uk might remember that time in his career, it was widely reported around the world. do you think in the eyes of

some people in the states, that kobe struggled to actually recover, to restore his reputation after that episode and all the obviously, all the coverage he had understandably got? it was settled, there is a civil lawsuit, wasn't there, as i recall. there was, with an ample settlement. i assume its ample. i think that's always in the eyes of the victim. or the alleged victim, i will say. you know, there are some people that that is... that's a deal close it. sexual assault, a deal close. —— deal closer. and yet wherever you turn, so many millions of la kers fa ns wherever you turn, so many millions of lakers fans and basketball fans in america looked at him as a

standard—bearer for competitive integrity. it's hard to imagine the hours he would put in, the nba, like a lot of sports leagues, it plays an 82 game schedule, they are co nsta ntly 82 game schedule, they are constantly flying, he would have these long days and he would get on these long days and he would get on the site, and all around him, team—mates would be falling asleep and he would spend hours watching video of the game he had just played and then which turned to video of the next opponent. no one prepared harder. he was... i said a few years back that if we had been able to bottle that spirit, that of that of that drive, that kobe had, —— that spirit, that will, that drive, then we would probably as a culture be spending wood selling condos on the moon right now, he was that kind of

intense! —— is a culture we would be selling condos on the moon. when i first got to know him as a kid it was a lot of fun because it was odd is happening for him. as larry drew observed, he was one of his early coaches with the lakers, he was like a puppy coaches with the lakers, he was like a puppy that out of the box. —— let out of the box. so this is a very sad day. roland, we appreciate you talking to us, thank you very much. the biographer of kobe bryant speaking there from the blue ridge mountains of virginia. lots of tributes, of course, being paid, as is the way, these days on social media. and a generous, the american comedian and host, has tweeted... —— ellen degeneres. if you'rejust joining us, we are reporting the news that the nba star kobe bryant has been killed in a helicopter

crash in california. that was at ten o'clock local time this morning. the helicopter, a private aircraft, went down and a fire broke out according to reports from local media there. there are said to be five people on board, including kobe bryant, and all of them have been confirmed to have died. there were no survivors. the crash at the moment, though, though, is under investigation. these are the scenes from california, as the emergency services attended the scene. the weather was said to have been misty 01’ weather was said to have been misty orfoggy this morning. let's weather was said to have been misty or foggy this morning. let's speak to an la times sports writer. thank you for speaking to us here on bbc news. tell us what you're hearing, first of all, but this crash?|j think first of all, but this crash?” think we hearing the same things. everyone is reporting at this point,

you know, there was a tmz report earlier this morning and like everyone, when you first hear it, you don't want to believe it but u nfortu nately you don't want to believe it but unfortunately these things are usually tend to be true, and within half an hour, it was confirmed by oui’ half an hour, it was confirmed by our newspaper and cnn and most of the big news sites here. and then just utter shock, you know, that... to say shock would be a massive understatement. i wasn't an nba writer, i covered baseball and football for most of my time here, and it didn't matter if you were a huge basketball fan or just and it didn't matter if you were a huge basketball fan orjust a casual sports fan. kobe was the guy you knew by his first name only, he was to sports in the community hear what michaeljordan was in chicago all those years. just an icon. a guy who

rehabilitated his career from some pretty serious charges two decades ago, a champion. an incredible work ethic. and to me one of the saddest things arejust some ethic. and to me one of the saddest things are just some of the things he was doing since he retired from basketball, just really interesting, the children's books, the short films, he won an academy award. i don't know kobe but i had bumped into him a couple of times over the last few years and last time i did see him, i congratulated him on the academy award and he was very appreciative. you could tell how proud he was. his first film wins in an academy award, that's kobe, you know. when he did something, he was serious about it and he wanted to go out and be the best. —— go all out and be the best. and that shows you what he was like right there. in a sport which is for the big personalities, how did kobe bryant make such a mark? —— full of big

personalities. well, first, you know, first and foremost, on the court, it wasn't just that he know, first and foremost, on the court, it wasn'tjust that he won, i think, i've lost track, i think it was five or six nba titles. he would we'll his teams to some of these titles. there was a big controversy here when the owner of the lakers traded shaquille o'neal away and kobe was determined to show everybody that he could win a championship without shaquille o'neal and he championship without shaquille o'nealand he did, championship without shaquille o'neal and he did, he won two of them. he had his own, you know, the mentality, he had his own label for the effort and the intensity with which he went about his job. nobody works harder. in practice, you know, he wouldn't accept anything less than 100% effort. i remember after

he tour his achilles, an injury that caused him to miss a year—and—a—half, he still got her from that —— got up from that. just that relentless winning attitude. i know it rubbed off on all his team—mates. he demanded so much of his team—mates and that's why the la kers were his team—mates and that's why the lakers were so good for so long. we keep hearing about this incredible drive that he had. how popular was he amongst the fans? very popular. i mean, it's interesting, i heard your last guest talk about this. 17, 18 yea rs last guest talk about this. 17, 18 years ago, his career was in trouble even though he was still pretty much in the prime of his playing career, there is rape charges were very serious, and he was flying back and forth in between court sessions in colorado to la, where the lakers we re

colorado to la, where the lakers were playing. so it was something that took a long time for him to rehabilitate from. i know he had some issues with his marriage but it did seem like in the last years, especially since his retirement, you know, he was out in public but with his family, with his wife, with his daughters, his eldest was developing into a really great basketball player, he spent a lot of time with her. and you just saw a different side of kobe that wasn't so intense, that was more of a father, he was the father, moreover fun, that was more of a father, he was the father, moreoverfun, he went that was more of a father, he was the father, moreover fun, he went to see dodgers games, and one of the last thing he did was film a video congratulating a dodgers player on his mvp award. he was happy to see others succeed and i think what he was proud of in his last interview,

he showed a lot of humility and a lot of class and was very happy for a lebron james for lot of class and was very happy for a lebronjames for passing him on the scoring list. there are a lot of congratulatory tweets from kobe to lebron and he was generally happy to see a player of lebron's stature pass him on the scoring list. i think he became more humanised. you know, when you're out on the court, when you're winning all those titles, you're kind of this iconic figure and searches... more out of reach for people. but i think since his career ended, he was just more ofa his career ended, he was just more of a regular guy and i think more people can relate to him. we

appreciate you talking to us. it's so good to get your thoughts from the american perspective, of course, because every year, many of us know who kobe bryant was but weren't as familiar with his career as you clearly have been. we really appreciate you talking to us. thank you very much. more famous sports figures from the us have been paying tribute to kobe bryant. the new england patriots star tom brady tweeted. .. former american football and baseball star said... former american football and baseball starsaid... somebody former american football and baseball star said... somebody tell me itain't baseball star said... somebody tell me it ain't so. and a basketball star tweeted to say life is too precious, rest in peace, kobe. a six time nba champion and olympic gold medallist also tweeted to say, i'm stunned, words can't even come close to describing it, just an

incredibly sad and tragic day. which is of course being expressed by so many people for whom this is the most unimaginable news. if you're joining us, kobe bryant, the nba star, has been killed in a helicopter crash at 10am this morning local time in calabasas in california. he was one of five people on board the helicopter. a private aircraft which came down. we understand that a fire broke out, emergency personnel responded but nobody on board survived. the cause of the crash is under investigation. a journalist and creator of a basketball website joins us now. thank you very much forjoining us. iam sure, thank you very much forjoining us. i am sure, like you, you're having difficulty taking this info is not 100%. i've just difficulty taking this info is not 100%. i'vejust been difficulty taking this info is not 100%. i've just been sitting here thinking about what can i possibly say? to begin to process it and even

talk about the impact that he has had not just basketball talk about the impact that he has had notjust basketball but sports, you know, he transcended the nba, transcended basketball, he was one of the superstars that if you add to the average person on the street in the average person on the street in the uk and ask them to name basketball players, they would know kobe bryant would be one of them. for him to lose his life at 41 years old is just absolutely tragic and i just think, you know, looking on twitter and seeing all the tributes flooding in, how many of these current crop of nba stars would be even playing if it wasn't for him? he is inspired so many and it's so, so sad for him to lose his life at such a young age. what could -- did you enjoy about washing his player? is just you enjoy about washing his player? isjust a you enjoy about washing his player? is just a ruthless competitor, one of those ones when the game is on the line and you need a big shot, one of the ones you go to. he would a lwa ys one of the ones you go to. he would always rise to the occasion. when the lights are on you knew you could depend on him. i remember his final

game, obviously in the uk you have to get up in the middle of the night because of the time zone, i woke up to watch his final game in the nba and there he was and he scored 60 or whatever, it was unbelievable. you couldn't write a story that was believable. that was his career. it's just hard to put into words, ha rd to process. it's just hard to put into words, hard to process. i think everyone is just in massive amount of shock. someone else you're sticking to just was talking about... when lebron passed him and he congratulated lebron, that was 18 hours ago, and now to be in the situation, it's unbelievable. let me just pause for a second, we are now getting reports from a number of news websites that, alongside kobe bryant, in that plane, one of the other four people on board was his daughter gianna, he was 13. a number of websites and news outlets are reporting that she

was on board with her father when the plane came down. —— his daughter, who was 13. many tributes pouring into them and also the other three people who died on for that aircraft this morning. just talk to us aircraft this morning. just talk to us about what you think you might have contributed after giving up the gamejust four years have contributed after giving up the game just four years ago, he clearly had a lot of plans. for sure. he was amazing to watch his crew developed after basketball, he's written books, won an academy award for his short film. —— it was amazing to watch his career develop. he was a lwa ys watch his career develop. he was always going to carry on after the nba, can on doing community work and being a face of la sports. it's unbelievable. it's hard to put into words just what the sport has lost. for him to lose his life at such a young age, with so much more to give, it's absolutely tragic. and hearing that news about one of his daughters is also on the flight,

it's absolutely terrible. absolutely... i can't put it into words. so sad. so, so sad. many, many words. so sad. so, so sad. many, ma ny tweets words. so sad. so, so sad. many, many tweets been posted. i think for l williams, the singer, has said... -- third l williams, the singer, has said... —— third mike williams. —— pharrell lea ns. —— third mike williams. —— pharrell leans. other people posting links to the film that he made, which of course, most people struggle to be successful in one area, he was successful in one area, he was successful as a basketball player for 20 years and then wins an academy award. what's this filmlike? i'm guessing you must seen it. that's the thing with kobe, he is such a competitor that if he is going to do something he would do a proper and want to be the best, and i think that's evident in where he's had i think that's evident in where he's ha d su ccess i think that's evident in where he's had success outside a basketball, not just the film, everything had success outside a basketball, notjust the film, everything he was doing. he had kind of like midas

touch. he wasjust doing. he had kind of like midas touch. he was just an absolute superstar. goes beyond basketball, transcended sports. and, yes, i just... ifind it hard to transcended sports. and, yes, i just... i find it hard to even transcended sports. and, yes, i just... ifind it hard to even begin to talk to you about kind of what the world is dealing with his loss. it's super, super difficult, super tragic and really, really sad. some, we appreciate you talking to us. like the rest of the basketball community, you'll be taking a well so let this sink in. we really appreciate you talking to us. the president of the united states, donald trump, has also tweeted his thoughts. the reports suggest that they were actually four other people on board.

nobody on board has survived this crash which took place at attending this morning local time in calabasas just outside los angeles. many more tributes no doubt will be pouring in to those who died in that plane, that aircraft crashed, and we will be reporting the story, more of course your own bbc news throughout the evening. time for a look at the weather. good evening. much of the past week we have had a fairly quiet spell of partially dry, settled but fairly cloudy weather, but it has been all change — on sunday we saw these frontal systems bringing

further south, as we had to monday, sunny spells and showers, particularly along the south coast and towards the south—west of england, wales, too. but ireland and the west of scotland, some wintry showers but east of scotland and much of the east of england stays largely dry with some sunshine, though it will feel a little colder. through the week ahead, then, after that chilly start with some snow and ice in the north, it turns drier through the middle of the week. once again, mild and unsettled later in the week.

this is bbc world news today. our top stories: one of basketball‘s all—time greats, kobe bryant, has been killed in a helicopter crash in southern california. reports say his helicopter went down into a hillside in calabasas in fog. he was iii. if our culture could somehow bottle all of the things that kobe possessed in his character, we would be selling condos on the moon these days. he had that sort of ability to just transform