Detroit Lions players react to Kobe Bryant’s shocking death

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers waves to the crowd as he is taken out of the game after scoring 60 points against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on April 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers waves to the crowd as he is taken out of the game after scoring 60 points against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on April 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Following the tragic news of Kobe Bryant’s death on Sunday, players for the Detroit Lions reached to express their sadness and thoughts on social media.

On Sunday, former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash outside of Los Angeles. The tragic news quickly permeated the sporting world and garnered reactions from many, including several Detroit Lions players.

Originally drafted by the Charlotte Hornets back in 1996, Bryant would end up playing his entire 20-year career with the Lakers. He’d win five NBA championships, earn two finals MVPs, a league MVP, 18 All-Star nominations, four All-Star MVPs, 15 All-NBA honors, 12 All-Defensive Team nods, led the league in scoring twice, was the Slam Dunk champion in 1997, won two Olympic gold medals, and is a lock for the Basketball Hall of Fame.

That impressive resumé made Bryant, who was nicknamed The Black Mamba, a cultural icon across the worlds of both sports and entertainment. In 2018, Kobe won an Oscar for a short film that he helped produce based on a poem he wrote to announce his retirement. Bryant retired from the NBA after the 2015-16 season and was recently passed by the Lakers’ LeBron James as third on the league’s all-time scoring list with an incredible 33,643 career points.

The shock of the 41-year old Bryant’s death saw many take to social media in order to express their sadness, grief, and pass along their condolences following the tragic news. Here are some of the tweets sent out by Lions players reacting to Bryant’s passing.

https://twitter.com/_bigplayslay23/status/1221532890015715333?s=20

https://twitter.com/_bigplayslay23/status/1221521610294857742?s=20

https://twitter.com/jwillofficial_/status/1221520857031434246?s=20

Kobe Bryant will be remembered as one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history. His death is a reminder of one’s own mortality and the fragility of life. We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the families of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianni, and the seven other people who tragically lost their lives on Sunday.

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