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Kobe Bryant, 5-time NBA champion and Los Angeles Lakers legend, has died at the age of 41. A helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant, and seven others crashed in Calabasas on Sunday, January 26th. Though he was renowned for his basketball talent, Kobe Bryant was also an Oscar-winning filmmaker. Kobe’s Oscar win for his short film, “Dear Basketball,” is a testament to his promise beyond the court.
Kobe Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 years, entering the league as an 18-year-old straight out of high school. He would go on to earn 18 trips to the All-Star Game and a Most Valuable Player trophy in 2008. Bryant retired from his basketball career after the 2015-2016 season, and promptly began the next phase of his career. He began working for ESPN, producing a series of delightfully bizarre short films detailing his personal motivational techniques. Then, in 2017, Bryant collaborated with renowned animator Glen Keane on a short film called “Dear Basketball,” which ended up winning an Oscar in 2018 in the Best Animated Short category.
“Dear Basketball” is a love letter to basketball, voiced by Kobe Bryant, and lasts just over five minutes. He speaks deeply and lovingly about the sport, what it gave to him during his adolescence and adulthood, and the sacrifices he made in pursuit of excellence. It’s quite a touching and triumphant tribute to the sport, made even more resonant now that Bryant has passed away at such a young age.
