Dillon Brooks was greeted with boos every time he took the floor for Canada at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. When he exited the court for the last time in Manila, Philippines, he was met with chants of "MVP" instead.
Brooks had the game of his life on Sunday, leading Canada to one of its biggest victories in program history after defeating Team USA in overtime. The star forward exploded for 39 points on 7-for-8 shooting from 3-point range to make history for his country, taking down the world rank No. 1 United States for a podium finish.
Brooks' 39 points snapped a nearly 70-year record for the most points in a single game by a Canadian at the FIBA World Cup, set by Carl Ridd back in 1954. His performance led Canada to its first-ever medal at the FIBA World Cup, as it heads home with the bronze to go along with its 2024 Paris Olympics bid.
MORE: Dillon Brooks breaks records in FIBA World Cup bronze medal win over USA
Brooks was a menace the entire tournament, serving as one of Canada's most consistent players on both ends of the floor with averages of 15.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
He called himself the best perimeter defender in the world and thrived in his 3-and-D role, knocking down a blistering 58.8 percent of his long-range attempts. Brooks was as clutch as can be in Canada's final game of the tournament, burying big 3 after big 3 to take down the United States.
TCL Player of the Game Dillon Brooks set a new points record in a medal game to tow third-place Canada to their first-ever medal 👏
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 🏆 (@FIBAWC) September 10, 2023
📊 39 PTS | 5 AST | 4 REB | 7 3PM | 42 EFF#FIBAWC x #WinForCanada 🇨🇦 | #InspireGreatness pic.twitter.com/Og5wWPyHEG
After the game, he spoke on how Team USA legend Kobe Bryant's "Black Mamba" mentality inspired his willingness to embrace his role as one of the sport's most prominent villains today.
"It's just a persona. People love it. I've grown to love it myself," Brooks began. "It's just like Kobe Bryant. RIP to Kobe Bryant. How he had to figure out how to create 'the Black Mamba.' A different persona when he comes on the court. I guess that's my persona — the villain."
Brooks has leaned into that persona for a while now, most notably this past NBA season when he poked LeBron James and the Lakers during the regular season and again during the opening round of the NBA Playoffs.
That's a major reason why the Lakers-heavy crowd chose to cheer against Brooks at the FIBA World Cup in both Indonesia and the Philippines, but he thanked his haters for the motivation in his parting message.
"I appreciate you. From the beginning, everyone that was throwing shots on Twitter and Instagram, watching me play, it just helps me get better and better each and every day."
Brooks got the last laugh, leaving Manila with a bronze medal and the performance of a lifetime.
