The sports world was heartbroken and stunned with the news that Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif on Sunday. Bryant, 41, was reportedly on his way to a youth basketball game at the time of the crash.
NFL players pay tribute to Kobe Bryant, at the Pro Bowl and around the league
Reports of the 41-year-old NBA legend’s death broke right before the Pro Bowl kicked off on Sunday.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Times reported the crash happened in the hills over Calabasas shortly after 10 a.m. local time, and that no homes or other bystanders were affected by the crash. All nine people onboard were killed in the crash.
The news was heavy on everyone’s minds Sunday, including in the NFL, which was holding the Pro Bowl that same day. The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers were traveling to Miami for Super Bowl LIV, as well. Throughout the day, a number of NFL players and teams gave their thoughts on Bryant and his legacy.
The Pro Bowl had a more somber feel on Sunday
At the time the news of Bryant’s death initially broke, the NFL’s Pro Bowl in Orlando was just kicking off.
Jacksonville Jaguars DE and Defensive Pro Bowl MVP Calais Campbell told reporters that the AFC locker room was emotional when news broke of Bryant’s passing before the game:
“It is heartbreaking, and for us to find out in the locker room before we came out. A lot of guys were just very emotional,” Houston Texans and AFC quarterback Deshaun Watson added during the game.
In the NFC locker room, Russell Wilson got the team together and led a prayer for Bryant and his family before kickoff.
New York Jets safety Jamal Adams tweeted after the game about how hard it was to play after learning about the tragedy:
Sadness could be felt throughout the stadium. In the first half of the game, Camping World Stadium asked for a moment of silence to honor Bryant. Fans in Orlando broke out a “Kobe” chant:
ESPN’s Lisa Salters asked several NFL players at the Pro Bowl their thoughts on Bryant’s legacy. Starting quarterback Drew Brees was asked first, and said he had a lot of respect for him as a competitor:
“It’s a tragic loss,” Brees added.
Offensive Pro Bowl MVP Lamar Jackson praised Bryant for what he did for the game of basketball.
“That’s one of the GOATs — him, MJ, and LeBron,” Jackson said.
When Jackson was drafted in 2018, Bryant gave the Ravens quarterback a signed Lakers jersey that had “do epic shit” written on it:
Jackson’s AFC teammate Watson also gave his thoughts on Kobe’s passing:
“Just to be able to get to know Kobe a couple months ago, he came down to Houston. And now with his loss and his family, prayers all out to his family and friends. This is just terrible news,” Watson said.
When ESPN’s coverage of the second half began, announcers Booger McFarland and Joe Tessitore shared an emotional moment in the booth.
“I haven’t really had time to reflect. As a father, man —” Booger said before a choked up Tessitore cut him off by saying he “can’t go there.”
It was obviously a hard situation to call a Pro Bowl while dealing with news like this, but Booger, Tessitore, and Salters showed grace and professionalism throughout the broadcast. The crew, as well as they players, did their best to put on a good game for the fans, but they were also respectful in the wake of the tragedy.
There were some on-field celebrations that paid tribute to Kobe during the Pro Bowl
In the second half, Packers linebacker Za’Darius Smith and his NFC teammates did an on-field Kobe celebration with a dribble and a step-back, fadeaway shot after a sack:
Smith’s teammate, Packers receiver Davante Adams, also honored to Bryant after scoring a touchdown, by pointing to the sky and signaling “24” with his hands. He dunked the ball over the goalpost after, too:
Shortly after, Salters interviewed Smith and Adams about their celebrations honoring Bryant, and they gave a glimpse of what it was like in the NFC’s locker room to hear the news of his passing:
Smith said, “But to do that, we came in third down we was like ‘man this is what we’re gonna do, we’re gonna do two steps and then we’re going to do the fade away for him. So for everybody to participate as a team I just hope that touched a lot of people in a special way.”
Various other NFL players and teams reacted to the Bryant news on social media, too.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was one of the first to react:
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, who is traveling to Miami for Super Bowl LIV, weighed in on Twitter:
49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, who was also traveling to Miami on Sunday, was at a loss for words:
Like a lot of people, Houston Texans DE J.J. Watt was in disbelief:
The Philadelphia Eagles, Bryant’s lifelong favorite NFL team, also released a statement about his passing:
The Los Angeles Chargers, which shares an office with one of Bryant’s companies, issued a heartfelt statement:
The Los Angeles Rams did the same:
The NFL extended condolences to Bryant’s friends and family on behalf of the league after the Pro Bowl wrapped up:
Bryant’s legacy went way further than just the NBA and sports. NFL players and teams’ reactions is proof of just that.
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