Justin Thomas, as a competitor and one of the best golfers in the world, has a wealth of respect for the late Kobe Bryant. So on Thursday, just four days after Bryant's tragic death in a helicopter crash, Thomas used his first round of competitive golf since Bryant's passing to honor the basketball legend.
On the 16th hole, Thomas pulled out a Bryant jersey — and not just any old jersey, but a gloroious white-and-red No. 33 Lower Merion jersey — to honor Bryant's high school days.
The outfit made for a unique sight on the hole, and even spurred some spectators to yell "Kobe!" as Thomas launched his tee shot. It was awesome:
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According to Thomas, this isn't the first time he's donned the Lower Merion outfit for a round of golf:
And Thomas's love for Bryant has gone well-documented during his playing career. One Twitter user shared a video this week from two years ago, during a practice round, when Thomas tried an audacious shot at The Players and yelled "Kobe!" before he struck the ball:
This all just goes to show the universal reach Bryant had, not just on the basketball world but on the sports world at large. He will be remembered forever.
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