Most people know Kobe Bryant as an all-time great basketball player in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers. However, most of us here know that Bryant had recently delved into the world of film. His first foray into the medium earned him an Oscar in the category of Best Animated Short Film.
Under the umbrella of Kobe Inc., Bryant established an entertainment division titled Believe Entertainment Group. Their first production was the 4-minute short film, Dear Basketball, written and voiced by Bryant himself. The film was based on the transcript of his retirement speech, originally published in The Player’s Tribune. Animator, Chuck Keane, a veteran of several Disney productions created the hand drawn images. Dear Basketball was somewhat experimental by nature in that Keane created a method to animate sweat by using an iPhone.
Dear Basketball was very well received for both its animation and elegant delivery of the imagery and the way they connected to Bryant’s spoken words. The Academy recognized the 2017 film by nominating it and then awarding it with an Oscar at the 90th Academy Awards.
Bryant’s most recent venture in the world of entertainment saw him partnering with ESPN for a sports show called Detail that takes an in-depth look at individual athletes and the way they compete in their sport. The show completed 34 episodes for the network over 2018-19.
Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna died today in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles. Bryant was 41 years old.
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