Dwayne Wade remembers how Kobe Bryant’s Oscar win inspired his Academy-nominated docu on ‘Tonight Show'

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: Dwyane Wade is opening up about how Kobe Bryant's influence extends beyond the basketball court.

In a recent appearance on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon', the 42-year-old shared his thoughts on the impact of Bryant's 2018 Oscar win for the animated short film 'Dear Basketball'.

Wade reflected on the significance of this achievement, highlighting Bryant's enduring legacy beyond his illustrious NBA career.

Dwyane Wade on athletes winning oscars

In the same light, the show's X channel posted, "@DwyaneWade remembers Kobe Bryant’s Oscar win and how it inspired him to create his own Oscar-nominated documentary. #FallonTonight"

When queried by host Jimmy Fallon about his expectations of basketball players winning an Academy Award, Wade responded, "No, I didn't even know it was something … once again you have to see someone do something."

Reflecting on Kobe Bryant's Oscar win, he continued, "I remember when Kobe won his Oscar. It showed me and it told me if you get behind something you’re really passionate about, that people can feel your heartbeat through it, then great things can happen, obviously, you know, through their basketball."

Expanding on the impact of Kobe Bryant's Oscar win, Wade remarked, “When he won that, as a guy who just retired, I was sitting there knowing that my time was coming, I was like, ‘Well, I guess I gotta go win an Oscar now!”

Playfully acknowledging the desire to keep up with achievements in accolades, championships, and gold medals, the former Miami Heat player added, “… so please voters, let’s do it!"

Dwyane Wade, who served as an executive producer for the 2023 documentary 'The Barber Of Little Rock', has received an Academy Award nomination in the Best Documentary Short category.

The documentary explores America's growing wealth gap and follows the narrative of a barber located in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Fourth anniversary of Kobe's untimely death

Wade's reflections on Kobe Bryant's Oscar win coincided with the fourth anniversary of the untimely death of the Los Angeles Lakers star in a helicopter crash.

Kobe Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, tragically lost their lives in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. Bryant is survived by his wife Vanessa Bryant, 41, and their daughters Natalia, 21, Bianka, 7, and Capri, 4.

In 2018, Bryant remarkably won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short for 'Dear Basketball'.

The short film, narrated by Bryant himself, was based on a poem he wrote with the same title for The Players' Tribune.

The piece served as the announcement of his retirement from basketball in November 2015, marking a poignant moment in his transition from the basketball court to the world of filmmaking.