By Amy Tennery
MIAMI (Reuters) – There was a moment of silence in honor of Kobe Bryant at the Super Bowl in Miami on Sunday following the death of the basketball great, his daughter Gianna, and seven other passengers in a helicopter crash in California a week ago.
Prior to kickoff, players from both the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers stood at the 24-yard-line to honor Bryant, who wore the number 24 during much of his two-decade career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
A photo of Bryant and his daughter was projected above the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium.
One of the greatest basketball players of all time, Bryant won five NBA championships and was twice named the NBA Finals MVP during his 20 seasons in the league, all of which he spent with the Los Angeles Lakers.
His sudden death at age 41 was felt throughout the world of professional sports, with tens of thousands of fans flooding the grounds of the Staples Center when the Lakers played for the first time since his death.
Tributes have been paid to Bryant in the week leading up to Super Bowl LIV, with players reflecting on his influence during Monday’s opening night.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery; Editing by Toby Davis)
