Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant adds Oscar to his already impressive resume

Although legendary Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant is no longer winning championships, he is still winning off the court.

Los Angeles Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant collected yet another trophy Sunday night. However, this case was a little bit different from the other times in the past.

During his illustrious NBA career, everyone got used to him hoisting up championship trophies. Despite that truth, Bryant’s latest achievement defies the narrow-mindedness of viewing him as an athlete alone. At Sunday evening’s Academy Awards, Kobe claimed an Oscar for the Best Animated Short Film.

Bryant won the prestigious honor for his short film called “Dear Basketball.” Lakers.com reporter Joey Ramirez reminds readers that the short film was an extension of the same poem Kobe wrote after he announced his retirement from basketball.

“Dear Basketball” paints an incredible picture of the Black Mamba’s love affair with basketball. In the six-minute feature, Bryant articulates that this passion started at a very young age.

ESPN recently transcribed a couple tidbits from Bryant’s beautiful composition. From the get-go, it is not difficult to tell that the Laker icon’s love for the game was deeper than words can express.

"“Bryant’s poem begins: ‘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.’It reflects on how time is running out. ‘I can’t love you obsessively for much longer,’ it says. ‘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.’”"

That “goodbye” was certainly hard for many Lakers’ fans to endure. Bryant was a household name in Los Angeles for two decades.

As a result, it became rather easy to see him as just a basketball player. Be that as it may, him winning an Oscar eliminates that label.

USA TODAY writers Scott Gleeson and Bryan Alexander recently reflected on the onus that surrounds the Lakers’ legend. In their article, they include thoughts from Kobe that suggest that the nomination, to begin with, serves as a message to his critics.

Bryant notes that many did not believe in the goals he set out for himself after his NBA career ended.

"“What do you want to do when you retire? ‘Well, I want to be a storyteller.’ That’s cute. This is … a form of validation for people to look and say, ‘OK, he really can do something other than dribble and shoot.’”"

Certainly, at this point, the message is loud and clear. Bryant can do far more than score a bunch of points on the court.

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Director and animator of “Dear Basketball” Glen Keane shared the honors with Bryant on Sunday. Lakers Nation writer Matthew Moreno recollected that John Williams also played a big role in the film’s creation by making its soundtrack.

Moreno goes on to say that Bryant was the first former athlete to ever be considered for an Oscar award.

PEOPLE.com writer Dana Rose Falcone touched on a jab the former hoopster threw into his acceptance speech.

"“Well I don’t know if anything is possible. As a basketball player we’re really supposed to shut up and dribble.”"

This comment derives itself from a remark a Fox news reporter made last month against LeBron James. Via PEOPLE, she told James to “shut up and dribble” due to recent statements he made about politics.

That being said, an occurrence along these lines surely obliterates such shallow words. Basketball players are people, too, like anyone else. They are capable of establishing impact that transcends the game.

EW.com writer Dana Schwartz sheds light on this in a piece she compiled on the subject. In it, she includes Keane’s perspective on what Bryant was able to do. Suffice to say, Keane is far from the only one who admires the former Laker’s work ethic.

"“Director Glen Keane also thanked Bryant, saying the short has ‘a message for all of us — whatever form your dream may take, it’s through passion and perseverance, that the impossible is possible.’”"

Via Beth Harris of the Associated Press, Kobe disclosed that winning an Oscar felt better than winning five rings. In the minds of some, this may sound fairly strange. For Kobe’s sake, though, the “validation” is what makes the Oscar special in his eyes.

On a related note, many former players reached out to Bryant following the big news. That extended list includes Lakers’ legends Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal.

According to ESPN, Bryant got a lot of his inspiration from his own flesh and blood. One of his three daughters, Gianna, was the first to tell him to convert his poem into something special.

The rest, as they say, is history. One of the most decorated athletes of all-time now has an Oscar statue in his overcrowded trophy case.

Interestingly enough, “Dear Basketball” is not the only piece Bryant has worked on since his retirement. Via The Guardian’s Gwilym Mumford, the former Laker has also been prepping a series called “Detail.” Mumford explains that “Detail” will dissect the various idiosyncrasies of basketball.

Next: Kobe Bryant's Top 10 Games Of All-Time

Albeit Bryant is no longer playing the game, this proves how incredible his work ethic is. Akin to how much time and effort he put into basketball, KB24 is doing so yet again in terms of his writing career.