Former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, his 13-year old daughter Gianna and seven other people died in a helicopter crash outside Los Angeles last Sunday. And with Super Bowl LIV being played this past Sunday, a few Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers players paid tribute to Bryant with cleats or jerseys. One of the most notable tributes came from 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman as he wore a Bryant retro jersey as he walked into Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. On the Super Bowl pregame show on FOX, Sherman was seen reading a poem called “Dear Football,” which was an adaptation of Bryant’s short film Dear Basketball which won an Academy Award.
Richard Sherman rocking the Kobe Bryant retro jersey as he made his way into #SuperBowlLIV pic.twitter.com/4BJAzeytZp
— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) February 2, 2020
“I played through the sweat and hurt,” Sherman read via KTLA5 TV. “Not because challenge called me. But because YOU called me,” he said. “I did everything for YOU. Because that’s what you do when someone makes you feel as alive as you’ve made me feel.”
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Sherman’s teammate Emmanuel Sanders wore custom cleats to honor Bryant. He shared the cleats on Twitter and he also shared a quote from the Lakers legend.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to win. Whether it’s sitting on the bench waiving a towel. Handing out cups of water to my teammates or hitting the game winning shot.” – 🖤 Mamba pic.twitter.com/p1BowN840D
— Emmanuel Sanders (@ESanders_10) February 1, 2020
Another player to honor Bryant with cleats was Chiefs wide receiver Demarcus Robinson. He didn’t make a big impact on Sunday, but he was able to have a great night as the Chiefs came away with a 31-20 win.
Kansas City Chiefs’ Demarcus Robinson wore these cleats to honor Kobe Bryant before the NFL Super Bowl 54 football game on Sunday. ❤️️💛💜💛 https://t.co/P46hMjWgwm #kwch12 #chiefskingdom #ripKobe pic.twitter.com/dnA30BvUcH
— KWCH Eyewitness News (@KWCH12) February 3, 2020
Before the game, every player stood on their respective 24-yard lines in tribute to Bryant’s No. 24 jersey and everyone in the stadium took a moment of silence for the victims in the crash.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please join in a moment of silence as the 49ers, Chiefs, and National Football League extend our deepest condolences to the friends and families of those lost this past week. … They will never be forgotten,” the PA announcer said.
