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Glen Keane Was Drawn To Kobe For 'Dear Basketball'
Kobe Bryant and Glen Keane won a 2018 Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for "Dear Basketball." (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
Back in 2015, Kobe Bryant wrote “Dear Basketball,” a farewell poem announcing his retirement from the sport.
The poem was later turned into an animated short film that went on to win an Academy Award in 2018.
Kobe Bryant's Dear Basketball - Believe Entertainment Group from stephen gatfield on Vimeo.
That film was scored by John Williams and directed and animated by Glen Keane, who worked alongside Kobe to animate the poem:
“This was about a legacy that went far beyond Kobe and it became very clear to me, this was about after Kobe is gone, this legacy will continue on and touch many, many people.”
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He also said the two often talked about working together again in the future.
The Lakers legend died Sunday morning in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. Today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences said they plan to include a special tribute to Kobe during the Academy Awards.
You can listen to The Frame’s full interview with Glen Keane below:
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