Basketball: Kobe Bryant wins Best Animated Short Oscar for 'Dear Basketball'

Kobe Bryant and Glen Keane won the Oscar for Best Animated Short. Photo: Getty Images.

Kobe Bryant now has as many Oscars as he does NBA MVP awards.

The five-time NBA champion and 18-time All Star's farewell video to the league 'Dear Basketball' won the Oscar for Best Animated Short on Monday afternoon (NZ time).

The six-minute short, which is narrated by Bryant, was based on a poem he wrote to announce his retirement from the sport, and was shown at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival

The 39-year-old worked with animator Glen Keane on the project and enlisted five-time Oscar-winning composer John Williams to provide the soundtrack.

In accepting the award, Bryant echoed LeBron James' comments to being told NBA players should "shut up and dribble" by Fox host Laura Ingraham.

"As basketball players, we're really supposed to shut up and dribble. But I'm glad we do a little bit more than that."

With the win, Bryant has won more Oscars than Hollywood heavyweights such as Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp.