Kobe’s Success Continues

Owen Novak, Staff Writer
March 11, 2018

This past Sunday, former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. The accolade is another in his long line of accomplishments over the years that includes NBA MVP, 5 NBA Championship, 18 NBA All-Star selections, and many more. In his animated short “Dear Basketball”, Bryant shares his journey through the NBA over his 20 year career. When asked why he wanted the story to be animated he responded “It had to be hand-drawn animation because of the imperfections that come along with [all] that because … as a viewer you can feel the soul of … Glen Keane as he’s animating. You can feel the texture of it. Twenty-four frames per second. No step skipped.”

This is a big step for athletes in Hollywood as this is the first time a professional athlete has ever received a nod from the Academy Awards. This is also a breakthrough for Bryant as he is hoping this can transform his place in Hollywood. He’s expressed a lot of interest in the movie industry on the production side. There are lots of professional athletes that have partaken in Hollywood including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lebron James, Ronda Rousey, and more. However, it takes a different person to produce and make a story instead of just acting it. Bryant discussed his passion for writing where he took part in the hobby while playing during the NBA: “I always enjoyed writing. I had a really great teacher … who taught me the art of storytelling and writing and composition. When I came to the league, I kept writing, kept practicing. When I got injured and we were making a news film — that’s when it kicked in for me. I found enjoyment in writing that film, and writing each chapter … what should we do next? That’s what really kicked it off.” It is only a matter of time before more and more professional athletes begin to enter the realm of the film industry and become nominated for Academy Awards in all fields.

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