Oscars 2018: Yep, Kobe Bryant Just Won an Academy Award

Let it be noted: Kobe Bryant won an Oscar before Gary Oldman. And of course Christopher Nolan and Amy Adams are among the many still waiting.

The 90th Academy Awards were all about firsts, and good for basketball legend Kobe Bryant for stepping up and winning his first Oscar.

Kobe won the Animated Short Film Oscar for writing "Dear Basketball," along with director Glen Keane.

The film is based on a letter Kobe wrote to The Players' Tribute in 2015 announcing his retirement.

Kobe Bryant accepts #Oscar for Best Animated Short: "As basketball players, we're really supposed to shut up and dribble. But I'm glad we do a little bit more than that." https://t.co/lJd891ISOk #Oscars pic.twitter.com/5dLQ6CwRlB
— ABC News (@ABC) March 5, 2018

Here are the nominees "Dear Basketball" beat in the Animated Short Film category:

"Dear Basketball"
"Garden Party"
"Lou"
"Negative Space"
"Revolting Rhymes"

Fans were confused, impressed, frustrated, surprised, and everything in between:

Kobe Bryant:
• 5-time NBA Champion
• 2-time Finals MVP
• 18-time All-Star
• NBA MVP
... and now Oscar winner #Oscars pic.twitter.com/PEpoKdnkHs
— SB Nation (@SBNation) March 5, 2018

Kobe Bryant Oscar wins: 1
Alfred Hitchcock Oscar wins: 0
— Scott Weinberg (@scottEweinberg) March 5, 2018

KOBE BRYANT HAS AN OSCAR. AND STANLEY KUBRICK DOES NOT. L to the O to the L.
— Wesley Morris (@Wesley_Morris) March 5, 2018

Luke Skywalker just handed @kobebryant an Oscar. This just happened.
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) March 5, 2018

Kobe Bryant's film "Dear Basketball" won the Academy Award for best animated short, but the win brought sharp criticism to the academy as a 2003 rape accusation against the former NBA star resurfaced. https://t.co/1opOydnq7s pic.twitter.com/a5LlCI9KSg
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 5, 2018