Dear Basketball

'DEAR BASKETBALL': Four Stars (Out of Five)

A 6-minute animated short film in which NBA legend Kobe Bryant describes his love for basketball, over his entire 20-year career (dating back to his childhood), through an interview on the eve of his retirement. The short is a depiction of his poem 'Dear Basketball', and it's accompanied with music by legendary film composer John Williams. It was directed by Glen Keane and written by Bryant. I'm not a fan of basketball (or any sport for that matter), and I definitely don't look up to Kobe Bryant. The short is well made though; the animation is beautiful, and the music is of course really powerful and moving. It inspired me, even though I don't care at all for it's subject matter. That's the sign of a good film in my opinion.

Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant announced his 2015 retirement from the sport through a poem entitled "Dear Basketball". It's a sweet little poem, basically saying that the sport will always be in his heart. It's easy to imagine a short being made based on this, but harder to imagine being a legitimately emotionally affecting one.

This animated short jumps back and forth between a young and adult Kobe following his professional sport dreams, from shooting tube socks to his injuries on the court. The animation, by Disney Legend Glen Keane is done in a fluid, but delightfully sketchy style. The lovely musical score that really amps up the emotion is by the surprising, and always wonderful John Williams. Kobe serves as the narrator, reading his poem throughout. Obviously he wrote it, and it has the most meaning to him, so who else would read it. His voice is full of humility and humanity.

This is a beautifully animated, wonderfully scored short. Even for those not interested in the sport, you may find yourself invested in Kobe's emotion. This is about as good as it can get for a 6-minute long retirement announcement!

My rating: **** out of ****. 6 mins.

I grew up as a Laker fan since the early 2000s after their 3-peat championship rings, 1999-2000, 2000-2001, 2001-2002. I've always admired the Mamba for his greatness on and off the court. It's a shocking demise as we all are saddened by the loss of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. He created a legacy which is, will and forever celebrated around the globe.

Kobe Bryant's Oscar-winning animated short, "Dear Basketball," takes on added resonance with the basketball star's death today. The words of Bryant's poem, going from his childhood dreams to his retirement from the NBA, going through an arena tunnel towards the lights, of having given all that he can give, of letting go and saying goodbye, now, has a doubled meaning. It's an emotional wallop for his fans, as well as friends and family of all nine killed in the helicopter crash. Even from a more distant perspective, of one who occasionally enjoys the game and, consequently, witnessed Bryant's career, it's a touching poem and picture. None other than John Williams providing the score assists effectively in this regard, as does the animation recalling Bryant's childhood memories and focusing on him in highlights from his professional game on the court. Animating the beads of sweat is especially impressive.

Of course, one of the most remarked upon aspects when Bryant won the Oscar, when the MeToo movement was center stage on the heels of the reports regarding Harvey Weinstein, were the past allegation of rape made against Bryant and his subsequent arrest, the dropping of charges and the settlement. I never closely followed that case and don't care to discuss its details, nor its legal, moral and political ramifications, but I do think the media coverage of it and reactions from fans then, echoed again today by scale in the remembrances of his life and mourning of his death, points to how thoroughly athletes have become heroic, even legendary, figures in the eyes of many--especially children, as described by Bryant himself when he was a child dreaming of himself becoming like the heroes pictured on the posters of his wall and the videos of the games they played. Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson as the role models of his upbringing, Bryant himself as one for another generation. I don't mention this in a pejorative sense, either; arguably, it's a hopeful and healthy alternative to past valorizing of war. That kid in the room dreaming of becoming an athlete adored by others, pretending scoring buzzer-beating shots to win the big game, idolizing the new champions of their age and wanting to become that of the next generation. That kid could be anyone and is a great many children today across the world. "Dear Basketball" captures this, and it's a poignant elegy.

I can't believe this is happening, tears have just fallen. Rest in Power Kobe, love you always.