Dear Basketball

film by Keane [2017]

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July 21, 2026

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"Dear Basketball" is a 2017 animated short film that served as the basis for a poem of the same name written by Kobe Bryant. The film, which Bryant also narrated, won an Academy Award for best animated short film. It draws from Bryant's personal experiences and reflections on his lifelong passion for basketball. The film captures the essence of his journey from a young boy's dream to a celebrated NBA career.1

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Kobe Bryant
Retirement and death
…Bryant wrote the poem “Dear Basketball,” and two years later it served as the basis for a short film of the same name, which he also narrated. The work won an Academy Award for best animated short film. In 2018 Bryant published the book The Mamba Mentality: How I…
Read More
…Bryant wrote the poem “Dear Basketball,” and two years later it served as the basis for a short film of the same name, which he also narrated. The work won an Academy Award for best animated short film. In 2018 Bryant published the book The Mamba Mentality: How I…
Read More