Jimmy Kimmel had Kobe Bryantβahem, Oscar winner Kobe Bryantβon Jimmy Kimmel Live on Thursday night, and of course, the two talked about the Oscar that Kobe won on Sunday night for Best Animated Film Short for Dear Basketball. Kobe told Kimmel he still canβt believe he won the award.
"Iβm still tripping about it," Kobe said. "I hadnβt won a championship in a really, really long time."
Kobe also said he wasnβt expecting to win the award at all. "This is not supposed to happen," he said. "Iβm supposed to play basketball, not write something that wins an Oscar."
And Kobe said that, disbelief aside, he plans on pushing even more boundaries now that heβs in elite company as an Oscar winner. While Kobe didnβt divulge any specific plans, he told Kimmel heβs going to try and use his win at the Oscars to help others.
"This is a fascinating industry to be a part of," Kobe said. "But for us going forward, itβs 'How do we, how do I carry this night beyond this thing?' Now thereβs a greater sense of responsibility. How do I provide more opportunities for even more diverse and new voices to be heard in this industry? In the animation business, thereβs a serious lack of diversityβ¦Thereβs a lot of work that needs to be done, and Iβm really excited to push that forward."
But the funniest part of the interview came towards the end when Kimmel told Kobe he had a gift he wanted to give him (and his Oscar!) for winning the award. The comedian pulled out two tiny Lakers jerseysβone with the No. 24 on it, the other with the No. 8βand gave them to Kobe. Kimmel even put the No. 24 one on Kobe'sΒ Oscar, and it fit like a glove.
You can watch Kobe and Kimmelβs full Oscar talk in the clip above. The part with the tiny jerseys starts at around the 5:25 mark. You can also check out some of the reactions people had to the hilarious moment when Kimmel gave Kobe the tiny jerseys below.