Kyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics was one of the many NBA players touched and devastated by the loss of Nipsey Hussle, the L.A.-based rapper that was shot and killed in front of his own clothing store on Sunday afternoon.

Several players took to social media to express their grief and give their condolences. Others like Irving, spoke of it at length when asked by the local media.

“It's just hard,” said Irving, according to Jay King of The Athletic. “To be young, having the world at your fingertips and then knowing what Nipsey stood for, knowing what he was trying to promote in his community, around the world, with his music, he may not be liked by everyone in terms of how it was coming across, but I think the reality is that we're all emotionally invested into lyrics that artists are putting out there and what they represent.

“And it's just bard because especially men of color losing their lives like that in their communities, and a lot of questions, and it probably doesn't make it to this stage and this platform because it's not anybody else's favorite artist so they probably don't care enough, But for us we're all very connected in a lot of different ways in our communities, from me being from Jersey, being in LA, having a lot of friends out there, it's just hard.

“It's just hard because a lot of rappers and artists and entertainers lose their lives early long before they get to really change the world, And it is a sad day.”

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Irving is one of many players and fans touched by his music and his desire to provide for his neighborhood and grow beyond a music career.

Hussle was recently nominated for a Grammy only a month before getting shot six times and eventually dying after being rushed to the hospital. The 33-year-old rapper was shot in the torso five times and once in the head, injuries that ultimately proved too lethal to survive.