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*Kobe Bryant’s “Dear Basketball” won an Academy Award Sunday night for best animated short, and the NBA icon didn’t hesitate to use his acceptance speech for good.
“I mean, as basketball players, we’re really supposed to shut up and dribble,” he said, per ABC News. “I’m glad we do a little bit more than that.”
Kobe Bryant accepts #Oscar for Best Animated Short: “As basketball players, we’re really supposed to shut up and dribble. But I’m glad we do a little bit more than that.” https://t.co/lJd891ISOk #Oscars pic.twitter.com/5dLQ6CwRlB
— ABC News (@ABC) March 5, 2018
As previously reported, Fox News host Laura Ingraham was labeled a racist for saying that Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James should not speak out about social causes, but rather “shut up and dribble.”
Bryant refuted this premise during his acceptance speech, and his former on-court rival applauded the move on Twitter:
Salute @kobebryant on that Oscar!! #WeAreMoreThanShutUpDribble #UJustContinueToSitBackAndWatch
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 5, 2018
Kobe’s film, “Dear Basketball,” described his love for the game from his youth playing days until the end of his 20-year NBA career.