Kobe Bryant: 8 Off-Court Moments Of Greatness

Kobe Bryant was an icon to fans in the sport of basketball. He transcended the boundaries of fan bases and strove to conquer many outlets on and off the court. Never one to back down from a challenge, Kobe turned his head to film creation. Developing an animated short entitled "Dear Basketball" - posted on the Players' Tribune courtesy of his friend Derek Jeter - he would wind up winning an Oscar for his efforts.

What makes this so apt is that the project combined a range of his talents; language, poetry and content creation, to name but a few. The film was developed under the guide of his poem of the same name, and served to further highlight the depth of character Kobe had, displaying the wealth of experience and reflection he had undertaken throughout his career.

The Oscar nod led to his desire to inspire others to create their own visions and produce their own original content. He would repeatedly state that the core mission was to engage young people, enable them to become storytellers, and for fellow stars of all fields to become role models.