Muslim man Qais Azimi at the Mt Roskill mosque in the wake of the Christchurch killings. / Jason Oxenham
Messages of support have flooded in following the NZ terrorist attack with Aussie superstar Ben Simmons offering a "heartfelt" note.
Ben Simmons has joined in a host of athletes the world over in delivering a heartfelt message to New Zealand following the horrific terrorist act on a Christchurch mosque.
Sports teams over the past 24 hours have linked arms and observed a moment of silence prior to games in respect to the victims of the attack.
Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers. Photo / Getty Images
Two of Super Rugby's fiercest rivals showed some things are bigger than sport by coming together before their Friday night clash.
And now Australia's NBA superstar Ben Simmons has joined in the growing list of those to offer up heartfelt condolences.
Ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers' game against the Sacramento Kings, cameras captured Simmons' Nike Hyperdunks with a texta message on the side reading "Pray for NZ".
"That's all I really have. It's devastating. It's sad for those families.
"My dad isn't from Australia, but I grew up there and I've been to New Zealand, they are great people there.
"All over the world, people are just living their lives and then for someone to take away 49 or 48 or however many people it is, it's just really sad."
Ben Simmons with a touching statement on the New Zealand tragedy, a place he says is close to his heart.
He had "pray for New Zealand" written on his game shoes as a reminder of those affected. pic.twitter.com/JsZkIzI2Cb
Simmons joins a longlist of past NBA players to use their shoes to inscribe messages of support for those around the world.
Just days after the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013, then Boston Celtics player Jeff Green wrote the hashtag #BostonStrong on his shoes.
Detroit Pistons star Andre Drummond wrote the names of 20 children and six educators on his shoes on the one year anniversary of the Sandy Hook shootings.
The attack left the world in utter disbelief and has led to an outpouring of emotion from all over the globe with sports stars and league bosses also offering up their prayers.
NRL CEO Todd Greenberg tweeted after the news broke that every game this round would hold a minute of silence prior to kick-off.
The cricket world was closely affected by the events in New Zealand with a close call for the Bangladesh cricket team who were set to attend the mosque the shooter targeted before shots were fired.
New Zealand Cricket CEO David White confirmed the third test, which was set to start at Christchurch's Hagley Oval, has been called off as a result of the attack.
