Ex-teammate Walton surprised to hear Kobe rate Oscar above championships

LOS ANGELES, USA – Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton isn’t ready to believe that Kobe Bryant’s Oscar means more to the Lakers legend than his 5 NBA titles.

“He said that? With a straight face?” ‬Walton said Monday when quizzed by reporters about Bryant’s comments. “I didn’t see it but I would imagine there was some sarcasm in there. But hey, I don’t know. That’s his call.”

Bryant, 39, won the Academy Award for best animated short Sunday for “Dear Basketball,” a collaboration with artist Glen Keane and legendary composer John Williams.

"I feel better than winning a championship," @KobeBryant says backstage with his Academy Award for "Dear Basketball" #Oscars pic.twitter.com/EiaVOzlGhk

— Variety (@Variety) March 5, 2018

“It feels better than winning a championship, to be honest,” Bryant told reporters backstage after collecting his statuette. 

“As a kid, I grew up dreaming of winning a championship, but to have something like this coming out of left field… people asked, ‘What do you want to do when you retire?’ and I said, ‘writer.'”

“And they were like, ‘That’s cute,'” Bryant said. “But to be here right now, to have a sense of validation — it’s crazy, man.”

More reactions to Kobe’s winning an Oscar.

 

Congrats to KOBE first Oscar that’s big bro #dearbasketball. Proud of you, Big honor for you and your family. I’m jealous lol

— SHAQ (@SHAQ) March 5, 2018

 

 

Mark Hamill didn’t even have to say Kobe’s last name. So awesome.#DearBasketball #Oscars @HamillHimself @kobebryant pic.twitter.com/ZCsjXeRj5d

— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) March 5, 2018

 

 

Congratulations to @GlenKeanePrd and @KobeBryant on their Academy Award win for Best Animated Short Film for DEAR BASKETBALL, a warm, loving, and impeccably-animated ode to the titular sport, which made its world premiere at Tribeca 2017. #Oscars90 pic.twitter.com/WWZqpuRlqZ

— Tribeca (@Tribeca) March 5, 2018

 

 

 

If you haven’t watched it yet, here’s the link to Kobe Bryant’s Dear Basketball https://t.co/HWGm711L0q

— Steve Noah (@Steve_OS) March 5, 2018

Bryant was already a Los Angeles icon, but in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse scandal, his honor created some consternation from those who remembered his arrest over the suspected rape of a 19-year-old hotel worker in Colorado in 2003.

Bryant admitted to a sexual encounter, but insisted it was consensual. The criminal case was dropped when the accuser refused to testify, but Bryant faced a civil suit that was settled out of court with no admission of guilt from the NBA star. – Rappler.com