Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr posts moving tribute to Kobe Bryant

Raiders QB Derek Carr has always been an avid Los Angeles Lakers fan and shared his feelings about the passing of Kobe Bryant on social media

The sports world was hit like a tidal wave with the news of the passing of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and seven others in a tragic helicopter accident on Sunday morning in California. An outpouring of tributes and condolences came from every corner of the world and especially from those familiar with the challenges Kobe faced as a top-tier athlete.

Twitter and Instagram were flooded with messages of disbelief and shock which quickly turned to tributes and stories of Kobe inspiring people to apply the Mamba Mentality to their life. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was among the athletes from outside the NBA to share their feelings about the tragic situation.

Carr, who grew up primarily in Bakersfield, California, is an avid Lakers fan and grew up watching and supporting Kobe throughout his storied career. A quick look at his Twitter timeline shows that he was never shy about repping his favorite team.

Along with millions of Lakers fans around the world, Carr cheered on Kobe for decades as he helped lead the Purple and Gold to five NBA championships and saw him as a role model and hero. After the accident and likely taking the time to process what happened, Carr shared this inspiring message on his Instagram:

Carr has spoken often about applying the Mamba Mentality to his football career and his life and this tragedy will certainly inspire him to dig even deeper and find that next level in his play. The competitive fire and intensity that Kobe brought to every game is an inspiration to athletes at every level and Raider fans will be hoping that Carr finds his own inner Black Mamba in Las Vegas.

The world just kind of stopped on Sunday, and we here at JustBlogBaby send our heartfelt condolences and prayers to all the families affected by this tragedy.