It was sad news for many that learned Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the megahit Nickelodeon cartoon show "Spongebob Squarepants," died at the age of 57 on Tuesday.

And among those who mourned his death was Knicks C Enes Kanter.

Kanter went to every avenue of social media (Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter) to show his respect to Hillenburg with a picture of him in a Spongebob t-shirt.

View this post on Instagram

‪🙏😔‬

A post shared by Enes Kanter (@eneskanter11) on Nov 27, 2018 at 2:04pm PST

Spongebob wasn't just a US phenomenon, but it had an international following as well. In fact, when Kanter came over from Turkey to play at Kentucky, he admitted Spongebob -- as well as MTV's hit show "Jersey Shore" -- helped him learn English while he was injured.

#NYDream ☝️

Thanks @CBS @cbslocal 🙏 pic.twitter.com/WykoHauYzb
- Enes Kanter (@Enes_Kanter) August 1, 2018

Hillenburg passed away after a battle with ALS, which he was diagnosed with back in March. Nickelodeon released an official statement on Hillenburg, honoring the impact he made for kids and families far and wide.

"We are incredibly saddened by the news that Steve Hillenburg has passed away following a battle with ALS," the statement read. "He was a beloved friend and long-time creative partner to everyone at Nickelodeon, and our hearts go out to his entire family.

"Steve imbued SpongeBob SquarePants with a unique sense of humor and innocence that has brought joy to generations of kids and families everywhere. His utterly original characters and the world of Bikini Bottom will long stand as a reminder of the value of optimism, friendship and the limitless power of imagination."

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