Kobe Bryant died Sunday (26/1/2020) local time in a helicopter crash in California at the age of 41 years. Bryant is one of the most successful basketball players in history. Not only successful as a basketball player, but Bryant has also won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film 2018, Dear Basketball.
Kobe Bryant is a Basketball Legend
Kobe Bryant is one of the most successful basketball players in history. He’s an 18-time All-Star, two NBA Finals MVP. As a member of Team USA, he won gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, The Guardian reports.
His 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006 became the second-highest points total in NBA history. In his last game in 2016 he scored 60 points against the Utah Jazz, being the most of any player.
On Saturday (25/1/2020) night, LeBron James overtook Bryant to become the third-highest points scorer of all-time in league history. Bryant congratulated his former opponent and teammate at the Olympics.
Kobe Bryant is a figure who has inspired generations of basketball players nationally and internationally, Bryant made his debut in 1996 at the age of 18 and played 20 seasons for the Lakers before retiring. Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal led the Lakers to incredible feats by winning three straight titles from 1999-2002.
His team also won two more titles between 2008-2010 following O’Neal’s departure. After his retirement, Bryant established himself as a Los Angeles Lakers legend and one of the most iconic athletes in history. His fame far surpassed the Los Angeles Lakers, when he led the number of jersey sales. He is believed to have sold more jerseys than any NBA player except Michael Jordan.
Other athletes inspired Bryant from “The Mamba Mentality”, which Bryant described as, “if you see me in a fight with a bear, pray for the bear”. Bryant’s love for basketball is unquestionable.
Bryant also inspired the whole world with the love he had for his four daughters, one of whom, Gianna, died with him at the age of 13. Bryant became a mentor to his daughter Gianna’s basketball career. Gianna Bryant is the second of four children, Natalia (17), Bianka (3), and Capri (7 months).
Kobe Bryant Wins Oscar 2018
Besides being known as a basketball icon, Kobe Bryant has also managed to steal the public’s attention after winning the Oscar for Best Short Animation 2018, Dear Basketball, which is an autobiography of his time as a basketball player.
Dear Basketball was released in 2017. This film was inspired by a letter or poem written by Kobe Bryant that was published in The Players Tribune on November 29, 2015. This letter was written ahead of his retirement from the NBA.
You could say, Dear Basketball is the outpouring of Bryant’s heart while playing basketball. This five-minute film describes his childhood story while playing basketball.
In the film, it is shown how he rolls up his socks and turns them into balls. There is also a picture of Bryant’s golden days when he joined the LA Lakers.
Dear Basketball is narrated by Bryant himself, the screenplay is written by him. Later, Glen Keane acted as director and animator. Glen has been involved in Disney animations such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and others.
From a musical perspective, John Williams, who was the composer for the films Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Superman, and others. Besides the Oscars, Dear Basketball also won the 2017 World Animation Celebration International Film Festival for the Best Traditional Animation and Special Jury Award categories, the 2018 Annie Awards for Best Animated Short Subject, and the 2018 Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Post-Produced Graphic Design.
In one of his narrations, Bryant said, “It’s okay. I’m ready to let you go. I want you to know so we can enjoy the moment that’s left to us. Good and bad. We’ve given everything we’ve got.”