27 January
US authorities say retired NBA superstar Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash in southern California on Sunday.
Multiple US media outlets are reporting that Bryant's 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was also killed in the crash.
Initial reports claimed five people had been killed, but the death toll was raised to nine - including the pilot - at a press conference Sunday night.
Among those killed was John Altobelli, a baseball coach at Orange County College, his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa. Girls basketball coach Christina Mauser was also killed in crash.
Bryant played for 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers after he made his debut in 1996.
He was the league MVP in 2008 and became the NBA scoring champion twice.
Bryant was frequently compared to NBA legend Michael Jordan. Bryant retired in 2016.
The night before the accident, Bryant had sent a congratulatory tweet to Lakers star LeBron James for passing him on the all-time scoring list.
NHK
