PS: Oscars Face-Off: Athletic Oscar-Winning Filmmakers

Athletes have a long track record of translating their talents and popularity into successful acting careers. Now, television and film production as a post-sports career option seems to be an emerging trend. NBA forward LeBron James' SpringHill Entertainment is one example. Until now, LeBron has focused just on producing television series and award-winning documentaries. An upcoming trio of film productions: Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), Hustle , and Friday the 13th  remake sends a clear message that LeBron plans to up his game.

So far, only two former athletes have reached the pinnacle of the entertainment industry by winning Oscar gold. In 2018, former NBA shooting guard Kobe Bryant won the Best Animated Short Film Oscar for his film, Dear Basketball (2017) In 2020, In 2020, former NFL receiver Matthew A. Cherry  won a Best Animated Short Film Oscar nomination for his film, Hair Love (2019).

Which of these former professional athletes transition into filmmaking and resulting Oscar win do you find to be the more impressive transformation?

See the list Oscar-nominated films and their athletic filmmakers here: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls096091248/


Kobe Bryant The Oscars
Filmmaking Awards & Filmmaking Resume
Kobe Bryant's Oscar-Winning Animated Short: 'Dear Basketball' Streaming Link
Affiliated Production Companies: Granity Studios and Believe Entertainment Group

Matthew A. Cherry The Oscars  
Filmmaking Awards & Filmmaking Resume
Matthew A. Cherry's Oscar-Nominated Animated Short: 'Hair Love' Streaming Link
Affiliated Production Companies: Matthew A. Cherry Entertainment and Monkeypaw Productions