When Kobe Bryant announced his retirement in November of 2015, he did it in the most Kobe way possible. He told a story. He illustrated in a poem entitled ‘Dear Basketball’ that he would be retiring from the game when the 2015-16 NBA season was over.
It’s been nearly a month since Kobe played his last game and that final contest was magical, as was most of Bryant’s Hall of Fame career and now, one part of it will get its rightful due.
That poem Bryant wrote for the Players Tribune will get its own short animated film with some help from Sports Illustrated.
Following from Sports Illustrated.
Kobe Bryant’s production company, Kobe Studios, Sports Illustrated and Believe Entertainment Group have announced their partnership on a multi-platform video project based on Bryant’s “Dear Basketball” poem, which he used to announce his retirement from the NBA this year.
The animated short film Dear Basketball will be narrated by Bryant and will premiere on SI.com in the fall. Several exclusive SI Films mini documentaries will also accompany the film, showing viewers the behind-the-scenes process of producing the project.
“Dear Basketball is the perfect tribute to something I’ve loved for so long,” Bryant in a statement. “Working with Sports Illustrated on this special project is an amazing opportunity to hopefully inspire fans all over the world.”
