Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Others Pay Tribute To Martin Luther King Day During Obama's Inauguration Day

Across the sports world, on a day when President Obama's inauguration was the talk of the nation, athletes paid tribute to a civil rights pioneer from decades past who helped open doors for African Americans in all professions in all walks of life.

"#MLK" trended worldwide on Twitter as people across Twitter celebrated Martin Luther King Day in tribute to the late civil rights leader.

And even with a busy sports schedule, not even the top athletes of the sports world were too busy to pay tribute to the man who helped lead the fight for civil rights with such iconic moments as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in August 1963, when King delivered his legendary "I Have a Dream" speech.

"#MLK Day . His impact is unmatched!" tweeted NBA Superstar Lebron James.

Kobe Bryant, who only opened a Twitter account a month ago, saluted the late King and his accomplishments. "Happy MLK day. Great time to see how far we have come as a country God Bless #oktodream," he tweeted.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka tweeted, "He had a dream. Let's keep his legacy alive. Happy #MLK day."

""Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase," was the tweet sent out from the NBA's official web site.

"Hope everyone's having a good #MLK day. Don't forget to take time to remember all he did for this country," tweeted New York Yankees ace pitcher CC Sabathia.

"Two MLK tattoos already & maybe a third coming soon.. #MLKDay" tweeted the Hosuton Rockets' Patrick Patterson.

NBA Hall of Famer and six-time NBA Champion Scottie Pippen tweeted, ""The time is always right to do what's right." -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. #MLK."

Curtis Granderson, superstar hitter with baseball's New York Yankees, also paid homage to King's legacy, tweeting,""If u can't fly then run, if u can't run then walk, if u can't walk then crawl, but whatever u do u have to keep moving forward."

"Wearing these special #Nike colorways for #MLK day matineehttps://mob.li/_LVDCG " tweeted Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry.

Women's basketball player Maya Moore tweeted, "Today we remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. & how he, & many others, dedicated their lives for the greater good of humanity."