The shock surrounding the death of Kobe Bryant and eight other people, including his 13-year-old daughter, continues to reverberate around the world.

Whilst some news outlets, like the BBC, have put their foot in it with their coverage, most of the reports about Bryant do justice to what was a truly brilliant NBA career.

When talking about the life of Bryant, one should also reference the 2003 rape case centred around what happened on June 30, 2003.

You can both mourn the loss of a father, husband, and sports icon, while pointing out that he has a very problematic past.

Amongst the mourning, a great deal of coverage has been devoted to Bryant’s animated short, Dear Basketball, which landed him an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film back in 2018.

Details via the LA Times:

“Dear Basketball” is based on a poem he wrote in November 2015 to announce his retirement. The poem was published by the Players’ Tribune, a website that features first-person accounts written by pro athletes.

The film, which runs a little longer than five minutes and tells the story of one boy living out his basketball dreams, is narrated by Bryant and was directed and animated by Greg Keane, son of “The Family Circus” creator Bil Keane. Oscar-winning composer John Williams provided the musical score.

You’ll have to make do with a version of the short that features Italian subtitles:

Much like his on-court performances, that video will serve to inspire youngsters around the world to pursue their love of the game.

[sources:latimes&vimeo]