Hailey Van Lith claiming to make Kobe Bryant proud after bronze medal at Paris Olympics has fans upset

Hailey Van Lith's Kobe Bryant 'would be proud' comment after Team USA 3x3 win bronze at Paris Olympics 2024 not appreciated by fans.

Hailey Van Lith claiming to make Kobe Bryant proud after bronze medal at Paris Olympics has fans upset

Hailey Van Lith said Kobe Bryant 'would be proud' after Team USA 3x3 won bronze at Paris Olympics 2024 (image via Open Source/X)

Team USA basketball is generally a lock in for the gold medal, both from the men’s and women’s teams. The 5×5 teams have dominated teams at the Paris Olympics 2024 on their way to the knockout rounds and look like forces to be reckoned with. On the other hand, the 3×3 teams struggled initially. However, Hailey Van Lith and her teammates channeled their Kobe Bryant mentality to come back and win bronze.

That comeback from almost being knocked out of the Olympics was an amazing accomplishment. Hailey Van Lith explained what got them there when she spoke with reporters:

I think Kobe would be proud as heck of me for not letting us lose that game. Sometimes you can't control the outcomes, like that last game. I'm not gonna lie, it was tough. It was a tough situation for us to win it, and we just didn't sulk in it. That's the Kobe mentality. It's like 'f--k it and go out and win the next game.
Hailey Van Lith at the Paris Olympic Games

Generally, the Mamba mentality would usually mean a gold medal. But in this situation, they channeled that mentality even though they were almost out of the tournament.

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At the start of these Olympics, the American 3×3 women’s basketball team struggled mightily. They lost 3 games in a row and looked like they would return home early. Face to face with a potentially embarrassing situation, former LSU star Van Lith and her teammates turned their tournament around.

They won four straight games to reach the knockout stages. Then in the semifinals, they lost to Spain on free throws. Free throws have more importance in the 3×3 format than the full-court game. However, they ensured that it was not the reason to knock them out in the bronze medal game against Canada.

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Fans not happy with Kobe Bryant reference when winning bronze

That said, for Basketball fans, Kobe Bryant is in that sacred tier of players who embody the spirit of winning. Coming second was not an option for the late Los Angeles Lakers great. He even did the same with Team USA. Therefore, for Hailey Van Lith to talk about Mamba mentality when winning bronze did not sit well with fans.

They took to social media to call out the college star and her teammates for undermining what Kobe Bryant stood for. Check out some of those comments below:

https://twitter.com/ziggziah/status/1820628066999132368

Had they at least won the silver at the Paris Olympics 2024, fans would have appreciated it. Losing three straight opening games and ending up with a bronze is a remarkable accomplishment. However, it is not something Kobe Bryant would have been proud of according to the fans.

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