Russell Westbrook and $13,000,000 ex-NBA champ react to Kobe Bryant's 17yo last protege's big night

Kobe Bryant's impact goes way beyond the NBA. His signature "Mamba Mentality" has inspired thousands even outside of sports and long after his sudden death in 2020. That's especially the case with Amalia Holguin, the last girl from a group of high school girls coached by Bryant at The Mamba Academy.

On Sunday, Holguin dominated at the California state title game, scoring 21 points for Sage Hill in the Division I Final against Carondelet.

Her performance garnered reactions from Russell Westbrook and Matt Barnes, who's currently worth $13 million (per CelebrityNetWorth) and played with Bryant during a brief tenure with the LA Lakers, as they showed her some love on Instagram.

Via The Hoops Pill IG

They commented on the Instagram post by "thehoopspill," highlighting the Sage Hill guard's outing, with Westbrook posting three fire emojis and Barnes commenting with a heart.

Unfortunately for Holguin and Sage Hill, her effort wasn't enough to lead her team to the title as it lost 51-48. However, she did have several Kobe Bryant-esque shots and tried to carry her team to the top.

Holguin was the last player of the 11 girls coached by Bryant before his tragic death in a helicopter crash. She led Sage Hill to a Division II title in her freshman year and took it to a D1 title with a 24-point effort in the Southern California regional final over Windward.

Per MaxPreps, she averages 14.2 points, 4.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game and has offers from Louisville and California.

Lakers honor Kobe Bryant with 'Girl Dad Night'

Before his death, Kobe Bryant raved about how being a "girl dad" had changed his life, given that he had four daughters: Natalia, Gianna (Gigi), Bianka and Capri.

That's why the LA Lakers decided to host an annual Girl Dad Night starting in 2023. This year, it took place on Feb. 27, when the Lakers played the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The franchise celebrated father-daughter relationships before and during the game, with girls and fathers from the St. Mary’s Academy girls' basketball team participating in a Girl Dad Clinic and a “Give and Grow” Workshop.

Some had courtside seats for the game and a chance to meet Dorian Finney-Smith, all while father-daughter duo Kenyon and Isley-Rose Dixon performed the national anthem.

On top of that, fans got Girl Dad Night friendship bracelets and a chance to compete in several in-game contests, and Lakers Girls danced a choreography alongside their father figures.