An animated telling of Kobe Bryant's poem 'Dear Basketball'.An animated telling of Kobe Bryant's poem 'Dear Basketball'.An animated telling of Kobe Bryant's poem 'Dear Basketball'.
- Director
- Writer
- Star
- Won 1 Oscar
- 7 wins & 3 nominations total
- Self
- (voice)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
A 6-minute animated short film in which NBA legend Kobe Bryant describes his love for basketball, over his entire 20-year career (dating back to his childhood), through an interview on the eve of his retirement. The short is a depiction of his poem 'Dear Basketball', and it's accompanied with music by legendary film composer John Williams. It was directed by Glen Keane and written by Bryant. I'm not a fan of basketball (or any sport for that matter), and I definitely don't look up to Kobe Bryant. The short is well made though; the animation is beautiful, and the music is of course really powerful and moving. It inspired me, even though I don't care at all for it's subject matter. That's the sign of a good film in my opinion.
This animated short jumps back and forth between a young and adult Kobe following his professional sport dreams, from shooting tube socks to his injuries on the court. The animation, by Disney Legend Glen Keane is done in a fluid, but delightfully sketchy style. The lovely musical score that really amps up the emotion is by the surprising, and always wonderful John Williams. Kobe serves as the narrator, reading his poem throughout. Obviously he wrote it, and it has the most meaning to him, so who else would read it. His voice is full of humility and humanity.
This is a beautifully animated, wonderfully scored short. Even for those not interested in the sport, you may find yourself invested in Kobe's emotion. This is about as good as it can get for a 6-minute long retirement announcement!
My rating: **** out of ****. 6 mins.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWith his 2018 Oscar win, Kobe Bryant became the first African American to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
- Quotes
Kobe Bryant: 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. A love so deep I gave you my all - from my mind & body to my spirit & soul. As a six-year-old boy, deeply in love with you, I never saw the end of the tunnel. I only saw myself running out of one. And so I ran. I ran up and down every court. After every loose ball for you. You asked for my hustle. I gave you my heart. Because it came with so much more. I played through the sweat and hurt. Not because challenge called me. But because YOU called me. I did everything for YOU. Because that's what you do. When someone makes you feel as alive as you've made me feel. You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream. And I'll always love you for it. But I can't love you obsessively for much longer. This season is all I have left to give. My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind. But my body knows it's time to say goodbye. And that's OK. I'm ready to let you go. I want you to know now. So we both can savor every moment we have left together. The good and the bad. We have given each other all that we have. 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
Details
- Runtime6 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1 / (high definition)
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