Feb. 2 (UPI) -- On the NFL's biggest day, the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs halted the festivities at Super Bowl LIV and paid tribute to Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
The Chiefs and 49ers finished their warmups Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., and lined up at their respective 24-yard lines for a moment of silence to honor the victims of last week's helicopter crash and the death of Chris Doleman. Bryant famously wore No. 8 and No. 24 during his 20-year NBA career with the Lakers.
Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were among nine killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 in Calabasas, Calif. The group was headed to Mamba Sports Academy, a facility that Bryant created and coached at, for a girls basketball game when their helicopter crashed under unknown circumstances.
The crash remains under investigation. There were no survivors.
49ers star cornerback Richard Sherman expressed his appreciation to Bryant, showing up to the stadium in a No. 8 jersey. Sherman also appeared on Fox's pre-game show to read a poem called "Dear Football." The speech mirrored Bryant's "Dear Basketball" poem that the basketball icon wrote in 2015 to announce his final season in the NBA.
Bryant, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, retired from the league in 2016 after winning five NBA championships and one Most Valuable Player Award (2008) with the Lakers.
