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

Dwyane Wade revealed that his inspiration to win an Academy Award stemmed from Kobe Bryant's award-winning short film 'Dear Basketball'
PUBLISHED JAN 28, 2024
Dwyane Wade shared his thoughts on Kobe Bryant's win on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' (@fallontonight/YouTube, Getty Images)
Dwyane Wade shared his thoughts on Kobe Bryant's win on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' (@fallontonight/YouTube, Getty Images)

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."

(@fallontonight/Youtube)
Dwyane Wade was recently nominated for an Oscar as an executive producer of a short-film titled 'The Barber of Little Rock' (@fallontonight/YouTube)

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.

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 18:  Kobe Bryant poses with his family at halftime after both his #8 and
Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna tragically died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020 (Getty Images)

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.

MORE STORIES

The post Khloe Kardashian liked featured Charlie Kirk speaking with a fan at an event about his devout Christian faith
Sep 13, 2025
Whitney Cummings sparked widespread outrage after posting a controversial tweet about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk
Sep 13, 2025
Prince Harry was spotted entering King Charles’s London residence, months after saying his father had ignored his calls
Sep 11, 2025
Rosie O'Donnell said Ellen DeGeneres’ friendship denial hurt so much she printed T-shirts for her staff reading, 'I don’t know Rosie, we’re not friends'
Sep 10, 2025
A post alleged that Karoline Leavitt called Patti LaBelle 'just a singer,' leading LaBelle to deliver a seven-word response that froze the studio
Sep 10, 2025
Jennifer Lopez feels free channeling emotions into music, but Ben Affleck is embarrassed and sees it as crossing a line, according to the source
Sep 9, 2025
Howard Stern added that he missed last week’s show due to illness, not contract talks, and addressed rumors of being fired from his own show
Sep 9, 2025
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement in August 2025 triggered a wave of pregnancy chatter after an ultrasound photo went viral
Sep 9, 2025
Ed Sheeran, 34, revealed that he was leaving Suffolk with his wife Cherry Seaborn and their two daughters, Lyra and Jupiter
Sep 9, 2025
From Ice Spice’s chaotic corset to Paris Hilton’s flame dress, see the celebs who landed on the worst-dressed list at the 2025 VMAs
Sep 8, 2025