BEAUTIFUL: Tony Finau Drains Long Birdie Putt For Kobe Bryant

It has been almost a week now since NBA legend Kobe Bryant passed away suddenly in a helicopter crash and the world is still mourning. In lieu of the legend, Tony Finau is giving everyone a reason to smile after one of his putts on Thursday.

I’m sure most everyone knows what happened by now but if you don’t know the details, Kobe Bryant, his daughter GiGi, and 7 others were killed last week when their helicopter crashed into a hillside in California, sending shockwaves across the world. Even if you were not a basketball fan, you had to respect what Kobe did for his community, his family, and young athletes around the globe. Some players this last week paid tribute to his legacy at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Heading into TPC Scottsdale’s most famous hole, the 16th, Finau joined Justin Thomas and Max Homa in wearing a Kobe Bryant #24 jersey for the entirety of the hole in his honor. Finau has an even more special bond with Bryant as he has said in the past that Bryant was his hero growing up. Finn has worn purple and gold shoes on “Mamba Day,” 8/24, for Kobe’s two numbers he wore in his career for the past few years.

Just like Kobe. 🏀@TonyFinauGolf drains his putt on 16 from off the green. pic.twitter.com/keVc8qE8dk

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 31, 2020

Finau even compared grieving Bryant’s death like he did when his mother suddenly passed in a car accident in 2011. With all that emotion, Finau was able to give Kobe one heck of a tribute. After landing his approach from just off the green Finau decided to putt from way downtown, channeling his inner Mamba Mentality.Finau buried the putt causing the whole crowd to go insane.

After making the long putt, Finau immediately imitated a jump shot as a shout out to his sports idol and couldn’t help but smile at the crowd’s reaction. Cameras even caught the crowd shouting “Kobe” as Finau made his putt. It was an amazing scene to see as all of the fans joined together to honor a man that had nothing to do with the world of golf but still made an incredible impact on players and fans.

Thank you to Finau and the other players who wore Kobe’s jersey to honor him and thank you for providing us with this wholesome moment that will be shown for years to come. We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of everyone who lost their lives as they deal with this difficult time.

Cover Image Via Twitter