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"I feel better than winning the championship,
to be honest with you. I swear I do," Bryant told news media
backstage after accepting the Academy Award for "Dear
Basketball," the animated short film he wrote and produced.
"To be here right now and to have like ... a sense of validation
is ... this is crazy, man," Bryant added. "It's crazy."
"Dear Basketball" is based on the National Basketball
Association great's 2015 poem, published on the Player's Tribune
website, announcing his final NBA season. Bryant narrated the
five-minute film, which was directed by Glen Keane and scored by
Oscar winner John Williams.
The film shows top moments from Bryant's career animated in
hand-drawn images while he recites the letter about his devotion
to the sport from a young age and a body that will no longer
allow him to compete at the highest level.
Bryant, who played 20 seasons, has started his own production
company in retirement, Kobe Studios. He told news media he
sought out Oprah Winfrey and TV producer Shonda Rhimes for
guidance when he launched the studio.
Bryant shared his advice for athletes navigating retirement,
which can often be daunting, as many are often young and have to
fill their time after decades of training and competition.
"The hardest thing for athletes to do is when you start over,
you really have to quiet the ego and you have to ... begin
again," Bryant said.
"You have to be a learner all over again. You have to learn the
basics of things, and, you know, that's really the hardest
part."
The short can be seen here:
https://www.go90.com/videos/261MflWkD3N?tab=details
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Additional reporting by Alex
Dobuszinksis and Lisa Richwine; Editing by Peter Henderson and
Jonathan Oatis)
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