Imminent NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant just won an Oscar Award for his animated short, Dear Basketball.

It’s animated from a poem he wrote upon ending his career in 2016 after 20 years on the court, in collaboration with director Glen Keane and composer John Williams.

“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.”

This is a solid five minutes to share with your kids, a piece that demonstrates through dedication, hard work and inspiration you can achieve great things.

Not everyone will be Kobe Bryant. But he still feels at heart to be the same little kid who had dreams of hitting the game winning shot.

Everyone starts somewhere. That’s the lesson for our kids.

Don’t listen to people who’ll put your down or seek to deter you from your goals.

In whatever your field of interest, perhaps you too can win five titles and an Oscar on your very first try.

As The Ringer observed after Kobe’s win …

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine