KOBE BRYANT HAS won an Oscar for a short movie about retiring from basketball.

The five-time NBA champion, who retired from the sport in 2016, triumphed in the Animated Short category with ‘Dear Basketball.’

The movie is based on a poem he wrote in 2015 to announce his impending retirement from basketball, which was published in The Players’ Tribune.

Bryant was the executive producer for the animation, and shared the award with Disney animator Glen Keane.

After receiving the Oscar from Star Wars legend Mark Hamill, Bryant jokingly said:

“I mean as basketball players, we’re really supposed to shut up and dribble, but I’m glad we do a bit more than that.”

In addition to honouring those who helped him make ‘Dear Basketball,’ Bryant also thanked his wife and daughters for their support.

You can watch ‘Dear Basketball’ here:

Bryant’s former club Los Angeles Lakers retired his jersey numbers 8 and 24 last December at a ceremony where Magic Johnson declared Bryant to be the ‘greatest’ LA Laker of all.

Bryant played 10 seasons in each retired number, winning three titles in the single-digit uniform top and two in the higher number jersey.

He retired after the 2015-16 campaign as an 18-time All-Star, a 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player and two-time NBA Finals MVP, two-time NBA scoring champion and two-time Olympic champion.

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