Super Bowl LIV Opening Night kicked off with a moment of silence honoring the memory of basketball and sports icon Kobe Bryant, who, along with his daughter and several others, died in a helicopter crash on Sunday morning. The San Francisco 49ers had just left San Jose Airport on a Miami-bound plane when they learned of the news. Several players tweeted out their thoughts during the flight to Miami International Airport.
The 49ers were asked about Bryant's death as the Super Bowl festivities kicked off at Marlins Park in Miami. Here is what the players and coach said regarding the tragic loss.
Jimmy Garoppolo
"We were actually on the plane ride in, and someone told me in the seat behind me. Honestly, I didn't even believe it. It didn't register at first. Just so sudden and everything like that. It's hard to accept but just a terrible, terrible tragedy. Condolences to him, his family, all the other families on the flight too. Just terrible."
Kyle Juszczyk
"He was absolutely an inspiration. I don't know how many times in school, I rolled up a piece of paper, shot at the trash can, and yelled, 'Kobe!' He was the ultimate grinder, and any time he spoke, he always had extreme class, and always had good things to say. So definitely an inspiration."
Emmanuel Sanders
"He's one of the greatest. He's definitely a legend in basketball. Also, for the culture of hip hop, everything. Kobe was big for us, so to lose him, man, was devastating. My heart goes out to his family, and his wife, and his kids because, like I said, a father of two, I can only imagine -- I can't even imagine what they're going through, truthfully."
George Kittle
"It was awful. Kobe was, other than my parents, he was the reason I played sports, just his mindset, the Mamba mentality. I wore the number 24 in high school my freshman, sophomore year because of him. I wore Kobe Bryant basketball shoes because of Kobe Bryant. Every time I laced up my basketball shoes, I felt like I had Kobe Bryant with me. I had a little part of him. I had his jumper, I had his fade-away. The amount of hours I spent practicing that fade-away from the corner, I never made it but I tried, and I always thought I was Kobe. He's an icon. He was a hero of mine. The world's not a better place without him but I think the impact that he has, he's going to change a lot just with his life. I'm definitely sad, and it sucks, honestly."
Kyle Shanahan
"I think it's as sad as anything you can hear. Kobe, I think, was amazing to everyone. I think it's affected everyone in California a ton, everyone in the country, everyone in the world. It shows how much he meant to everyone. To hear people talk about how he was with his family and stuff the last couple of days, to that happened with him, his 13-year-old daughter, it's very crushing, and it makes you want to enjoy your loved ones."
Richard Sherman
"It's unfortunate. It's really sad. He was a friend of mine. He was a mentor. He meant a lot to this world, and he made a positive impact. There's nothing I can really say to quantify his impact on myself, and on others. I just know how he would have wanted me to take this, and to react, especially in this moment, in this game. I was really sad yesterday, and I was sad this morning. I was kind of down. I was in the dumps, and then I just thought about what he would tell me. He would tell me to stop being a baby, and man up, and play, and do it in his honor, and win this game for him, and that's what we're going to try to do. I'm going to go out there and try to play some dominating ball, just like he wanted. The Mamba mentality still lives on."