Kobe Bryant may someday get his own statue outside of Staples Center, but until then, the statue he took home Sunday night will do just nicely.
Bryant won an Oscar for his short animated film “Dear Basketball,” which stems from a 2015 poem he wrote to explain his love for the game and how much it meant to him, using it as an exit strategy upon retiring. Artist Glen Keane shared the award with Kobe.
https://www.go90.com/videos/261MflWkD3N
For those counting, that’s five championship trophies, four All-star MVP trophies, two Finals MVP trophies and one MVP trophy, to go along with the Oscar.
In his speech and in his post-award comments, Bryant had some pointed words for Fox News host Laura Ingraham. Her commentary video during last month’s All-Star weekend on the network, in which she said basketball players shouldn’t voice their opinions on matters outside of basketball, drew the ire of star players such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant after it aired.
Here’s more from Dave McNary of Variety magazine, who talked with Bryant after his latest award win:
Keane then passed the mic to Bryant who made a jab at Fox News host Laura Ingraham stating, “I don’t know if it’s possible, I mean, as basketball players, we’re really supposed to shut up and dribble. I’m glad we do a little bit more than that.”
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An hour later, Bryant elaborated backstage and said, “I think for us, not just as athletes, but as people in general, we have the ability to what it is that we believe in. Whether you’re a professional athlete or not, whether you’re an actor not, you still have the ability to speak up for what it is that you believe in.”
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Of winning the Oscar, Bryant said backstage, “I feel better than winning the championship.”
He also admitted that he faced a challenge in finding a new career as a retired professional athlete.
“The hardest thing to do for athletes is to quiet the ego,” Bryant said. “My advice is find something that you love to do and everything will make sense.”
Bryant credited many who helped him decide to do the voice-over work on “Dear Basketball”, mentioning to Variety that Oprah Winfrey and Shonda Rhimes gave him advice on how to start a studio. But he had special praise for someone even closer to him.
Bryant also credited his daughter Gianna with providing him with the motivation to press on as a filmmaker, saying, “Well, dad, you always tell us to go after our dreams, so man up.”
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