Basketball legend Kobe Bryant has been denied entry into the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, despite winning an Oscar earlier this year for Best Animated Short Film.
The 39-year-old retired L.A. Laker won an Oscar as an executive producer and writer for “Dear Basketball,” an obscure film project which very few people actually saw.
Oscar winners automatically qualify to be considered for Film Academy membership, but some candidates are rejected for a variety of reasons.
According to TMZ.com, Academy board members cited a lack of film experience for the rejection, as their rules state producers should “have the equivalent of 2 producer screen credits.”
Members may have also frowned upon Kobe’s 2003 rape case, which doesn’t “reflect the high standards of the Academy”.
Kobe can take comfort in the fact that he will be welcomed into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2019 for his legendary on-court exploits.
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