Kobe Bryant had some surprising words about his Oscar win for the animated short "Dear Basketball." But then, perhaps it was just due to the relative rarity of an Academy Award win for him. The five-time Larry O'Brien Trophy winner was caught up in the moment of his Best Animated Short win, saying that "this feels better than winning the championship, to be honest with you," via E! News.

That's weird to hear from someone that seemingly devoted his entire life to basketball. Bryant has a career unlike almost any other. Five championships, two-time Finals MVP, MVP, 18-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA first teamer -- the list of accolades goes on and on. Now, he can add an Academy Award to his trophy case.

"Growing up as a kid, I dreamed of winning championships and working really hard to make that dream come true, but then to have something like this seemingly come out of left field," he added.

Bryant's poem, "Dear Basketball," was initially a letter that he penned for the Players' Tribune. It turned into more when he began working with co-producer Greg Keane, who animated the short. For Bryant, however, the validation as a writer means the most.

"I heard a lot of people telling me when I started writing and they would ask me, 'What are you going to do when you retire?'" he said, per E!. "And I'd say, 'Well, I want to be a writer; I want to be a storyteller,' and I got a lot of, 'That's cute. That's cute. You'll be depressed when your career is over, and you'll come back to playing.'

"I got that a lot. And so, to be here right now and to have a sense of validation is ... crazy." 

It may not come as a total shock to those that grew up watching basketball. Bryant's insatiable need to be the best carried into everything he did. God help us all if Bryant decides he wants to become an Oscar-winning feature film director next.