"I’ve always been told that as basketball players the expectation is that you play. This is all you know. This is all you do. Don’t think about handling finances. Don’t think about going into business. Don’t think that you want to be a writer ‐ that’s cute." Bryant told Lakers Nation. "I got that a lot. What do you want to do when you retire?" Bryant said. "Well, I want to be a storyteller.’ That’s cute. This is ... a form of validation for people to look and say, ’OK, he really can do something other than dribble and shoot.'"
The short film is based off of a poem Bryant wrote to announce his retirement. Bryant has made the rounds in receiving prestigious awards from various organizations. The basketball star holds two Olympic gold medals, which can now stand beside his Oscar.
