A Chinese basketball fan has been jailed for seven days for saying he'd rather see the coronavirus 'spread and kill thousands' than Kobe Bryant die in a helicopter crash.

The fan, named only as Mr Han, was arrested in Xuzhou after China's strict Internet police saw a message he'd sent in a group chat on WeChat, the country's most popular messaging app.

He sent the message on Monday, a day after LA Lakers legend Kobe, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna died along with seven others when their helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California.

Mr Han reportedly wrote: 'I would rather see the virus spread and kill thousands than read of Kobe's death.'

Mr Han (pictured right) was arrested for public order offences after other WeChat users reported his message to the Internet police

He wrote: 'I would rather see the virus spread and kill thousands than read of Kobe's death'

Bryant, 41, was killed alongside his daughter, Gianna, 13, during the horrific accident

Authorities in the city of Xuzhou, in East China's Zhejiang Province, said he was arrested for public order offences after other WeChat users reported his message.

The city's Internet police said the message was deemed 'inappropriate' and that his comment 'caused a negative impact on society'. He was given a seven-day detention sentence.

Some 132 people have now died across China and more than 6,000 around the world have caught the highly infectious pneumonia-like infection, with cases having risen dramatically in the past week.

Mr Han is pictured being arrested after the Internet police deemed his message 'inappropriate'

Basketball legend Kobe Bryant's helicopter crashed in a fireball on Sunday killing him and eight others including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna

The tragic helicopter crashed sparked national mourning across the US for the much-loved basketball star.

Kobe's grieving wife, Vanessa, is said to be devastated by the loss of her husband and daughter but is trying her very best to be strong for her three other daughters.

The NBA legend and Vanessa married in April 2001 when he was 22 and she was 18.

Together they had four children: Gianna, 13, who was killed alongside her father, Natalia, 17, three-year-old Bianka, and seven-month-old Capri.

'It's an extremely difficult and devastating time for Vanessa and the whole family,' a source told People.

Another insider said Vanessa is completely 'devastated' and can 'hardly keep it together'.

'She can't finish a sentence without crying. But she is working very hard to pull it together for the other girls. She now has to be the strong one.'

Kobe Bryant's death sparked an outpouring of grief for the basketball legend

The killer coronavirus outbreak has now killed 132 people and struck down more than 6,000. Cases have been spotted in Canada, US, France and Australia