Is there anything he CAN'T do? Five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant is now in the running to win an Oscar for his short film Dear Basketball
- Kobe Bryant's short film Dear Basketball could get an Oscar at Academy Awards
- The retired Los Angeles Laker's short film is an animated telling of his poem
- Bryant is the screenwriter and executive producer of the film
- The animated short first debuted at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival in April
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the ten animated short films that will advance in the voting process for the 90th annual Academy Awards.
Kobe Bryant's Dear Basketball was in the top ten and therefore could be one of the five nominees to be in the running for the coveted award.
The retired Los Angeles Laker's short film is an animated telling of Bryant's inspiring poem and it first debuted at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival.
Bryant is pictured here at a Dear Basketball Variety Screening Series presented by FilmStruck in Los Angeles on November 14 this year
Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers pictured here playing against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006 at Staples Center in Los Angeles
The five-time NBA championship winner was the screenwriter and executive producer of the animated short.
Glen Keane is the director and John Williams was hired to compose the score for Bryant's film.
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He first released the poem in 2015 starting it with: 'Dear Basketball, From the moment, I started rolling my dad’s tube socks, And shooting imaginary Game-winning shots, In the Great Western Forum I knew one thing was real: I fell in love with you.'
The poem is an ode to his 20-year long career at the NBA. He ended the poem with: 'And we both know, no matter what I do next, I’ll always be that kid, With the rolled up socks, Garbage can in the corner: 05 seconds on the clock, Ball in my hands. 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1, Love you always, Kobe.'
Additionally Bryant recited his poem at the Hollywood Bowl alongside Williams and his orchestra on September 2.
Bryant played his final basketball game with the Lakers on April 13, 2016 and scored a spectacular 60 points in his farewell game.
The Lakers said in September they would retire both of the numbers Bryant wore as a Laker.
He wore number 8 when his career began, then switched to number 24 at the start of the 2006-2007 season. He wore number 24 for the remaining 10 years of his career.
Last year’s winner in the animated short category was Pixar’s Piper that was written and directed by Alan Barillaro.
The 90th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 4 2018 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.
Jimmy Kimmel will be hosting the Oscars next year, which will be his second time hosting the prestigious Hollywood extravaganza.
Dear Basketball, Kobe Bryant's inspiring poem, is stunningly drawn to life by veteran animation director Glen Keane and set to the music of legendary composer John Williams (pictured here)
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