Kobe Bryant won a different kind of shiny gold trophy on Sunday night, taking home an Oscar for his Dear Basketball film. The win was celebrated in the NBA as a big moment for Bryant, who made a point to state that basketball players are capable of more than just dribbling a basketball.
The Lakers legend continued his victory tour on Thursday night, showing up to Jimmy Kimmel Live and bringing along his new Oscar with him. Kimmel, who hosted the Oscars on Sunday, brought Bryant onto his show to talk about just how thrilled Bryant is to have won.
“I mean what in the hell,” Bryant said when asked by Kimmel if he just takes it around with him everywhere. “I’m still tripping about it.”
“I hadn’t won a championship in a really, really long time so here we are,” Bryant said.
Kimmel asked if he would consider going for a Grammy next, but Bryant demurred.
“I know my limitations,” he said. “Singing is… I don’t even sound good in the shower.”
Bryant described the nerves that came with being nominated and what he felt in the theater on Sunday night. At first, he assumed he wouldn’t be nervous because he couldn’t do anything to impact who won the award. But then the “butterflies” came, because “I’m not in control of the outcome.”
He also described the “biggest countdown clock in the world” that stares down winners while they give their acceptance speech. Bryant said he got a chance to talk with five seconds left on the clock, so he didn’t get a chance to say something he wanted to.
“This is a fascinating industry to be a part of. But I think for us going forward is how do I carry this night beyond this night,” Bryant said. “Because now there’s a greater sense of responsibility. How do I create? How do I provide more opportunities for more diverse and new voices to be heard in this industry. Like, in the animation business there’s a serious lack of diversity.”
Overall, Bryant seems thrilled about the whole thing, as he should be. As Kimmel points out, he’s now got more Oscars than Jordan and Shaq combined.
