The untimely death of Kobe Bryant has led to a campaign against homophobia in Brazilian football. Bryant wore the No 24 shirt for the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team and his death in a helicopter crash on Sunday has hastened a debate over a shirt number that is often eschewed by Brazilian footballers because of anti-gay prejudice. The deer has long been associated in Brazil with homosexuality and many teams and players prefer not to use the No 24 shirt to avoid abuse or innuendo.