Kobe Bryant wins Oscar for his animated short 'Dear Basketball'

Even after he retired, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is still winning awards. The 18-time All-Star showed his excellence extends beyond the basketball court with his Oscar win Sunday for Best Animated Short.

“Dear Basketball” – was based on the letter Bryant wrote to The Players’ Tribune in 2015 announcing his retirement. It premiered on Verizon’s go90.

In his acceptance speech, Bryant took a moment to address Fox News host Laura Ingraham’s criticism of LeBron James. Ingraham said basketball players should not comment on political issues, and should instead just “shut up and dribble.”

He also received plenty of positive messages from current players and former teammates around the league.

Sadly, Shaq’s performance in “Kazaam” did not net him an Oscar.

In December, Bryant spoke to Yahoo Sports about the making of the film:

While the win was impressive, Bryant still has a long way to go until he has as many Oscars as championship rings.

Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik

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