'Dear Basketball' fetches Oscar for Ex-NBA star Kobe Bryant

Bryant, 39, a five-time NBA champion, played 20 seasons with the Lakers before retiring in 2016.

The Black Mamba of basketball clinched another trophy -- an Oscar this time -- in the animated short story category. Kobe Bryant is also the first to win both, a sports championship trophy and an Oscar.

The retired LA Lakers legend claimed the golden statue for the animated short film Dear Basketball, which is based on a poem written by him a few years ago, when he announced his retirement from the sport. Bryant accepted his Oscar from Star Wars actor Mark Hamill. 

Disney animator Glen Keane, with whom he shares the award, said, "...and to Kobe, for writing Dear Basketball, it's a message for all of us. Whatever form your dream may take, it's through passion and perseverance that the impossible is possible."

Bryant, who seemed to be in utter disbelief as he accepted the Oscar, said, "I don't know if it's possible. I mean, as basketball players, we are really supposed to shut up and dribble. But I am glad we do a little bit more than that."

Twitterati cheers 

Congratulations poured in from Basketball legends Magic Johnson, Bill Russell and Shaquille O'Neal, Bryant's former Lakers teammate, who admitted, "I'm jealous lol.''

Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, who was recently panned by a leading news channel for making political statements and told categorically to, well, 'shut up and dribble', also hailed Bryant for his achievement.

The basketball legend also mentioned his 11-year-old daughter, Gianna, in his speech, stating that she was the one who inspired him to turn the project into a film. 

"That's cute. You'll be depressed when your career's over. To be here now and have this sense of validation, this is crazy, man," he added as he spoke about the reactions he received for his shift to poetry and films. 

Bryant, 39, a five-time NBA champion who played 20 seasons with the Lakers before retiring in 2016, admitted that the Oscar made him feel better than winning a championship.