Kobe Bryant Dies in a Helicopter Crash

The retired N.B.A. star and his daughter Gianna were among nine people in a helicopter that crashed near Calabasas, Calif. A college baseball coach and his wife and daughter were also killed.

Here’s what you need to know:

The authorities said it could take several days to recover the bodies from the crash site.

Bryant and his daughter were on their way to an academy where he coached her team.

Bryant was considered one of the best players in N.B.A. history.

Fans gathered quickly at Staples Center, where Bryant delivered championships with the Lakers.

A college baseball coach, along with his wife and daughter, also died in the crash.

Bryant was among the passengers traveling onboard the helicopter. Nine people died in the crash, including the pilot. The National Transportation Safety Board said it sent a team to the site in California on Sunday evening.

The crash site was difficult to access and that firefighters had to hike to the area.

The N.B.A. sent a confirmation of Bryant’s and Gianna’s deaths to all teams and league employees Sunday afternoon.

The other victims of the crash included John Altobelli, a longtime baseball coach at Orange Coast College, a junior college in Costa Mesa. Calif., as well as Altobelli’s wife, Keri, and daughter Alyssa.

Bryant was on his way to the academy to coach his daughter when the helicopter crashed.

The academy was hosting the Mamba Cup Tournament Series, a series of tournaments for boys and girls basketball teams from the third through eighth grades. All the games were canceled after the news of Bryant’s death.