Major League Soccer players took to Twitter to express their shock and sadness at the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
The 41-year-old was killed in a helicopter crash Sunday in the Los Angeles area, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others.
Bryant, who spent a half-dozen years as a child in Italy, where his father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant played after an eight-year NBA career, was a noted soccer fan, supporting AC Milan, and later, FC Barcelona. He also attended the LA Galaxy's MLS Cup 2012 win and more recently was a part of an event on Jan. 15 unveiling the league's partnership with BODYARMOR:
Among the MLS players joining Bryant that day was Philadelphia Union captain Alejandro Bedoya, who tweeted his shock when hearing the news.
Bedoya’s sentiments were echoed by numerous current and former MLS players, clubs and owners, and around the soccer world:
