Shannon Sharpe reacts to Kobe Bryant's Oscar win for 'Dear Basketball'

- Are you buying that the Oscar means more to Kobe than the titles?

SHANNON SHARPE: I absolutely do. Because as I mentioned, last week at the Icon Man Award, I had an opportunity to talk to Kobe Bryant. And a lot of what he said there, he was talking to me when he and I was talking. And I don't normally divulge conversations, but since he divulged it.

SKIP BAYLESS: You divulge lots of conversations.

SHANNON SHARPE: I don't like to do that, Skip.

SKIP BAYLESS: Every other day, you drop another conversation. But go ahead.

SHANNON SHARPE: But talking to Kobe, and he said that. He said, man-- and I said well, you know, do you miss it. He said hell no. He said, as an athlete you know this. He said, when you devote your every life, your every waking moment to being the best at something, and you leave no stone unturned, you're able to walk away and feel good with what you were able to accomplish.

He said, I thought I could get nothing else out of my career. That was it. He says, but now, in this, he says, I'm equally if not more motivated to do this, and be great at this, as I was basketball. You see, Skip, as he said, he dreamt of winning a championship, in the back yard.

How many times did he say, five, four, three, two, walk off, game winner, NBA game seven, NBA finals. How many times did he stand in front of a mirror and read an acceptance speech about winning an Oscar? Not once. So this is the ultimate.

Because we all-- listen, contrary to what people say, Jenny, we know this to be true. We all want validation. No matter what you do, you want validation. You play a particular sport, the ultimate validation you could get it go is going to the Hall of Fame. If you write, be winning the Pulitzer Prize or Nobel Prize is your validation. When you do this-- and there's a lot of people that have done this a lot longer than Kobe Bryant, but they haven't received the ultimate validation, which is winning that statue.

Skip, this is unbelievable. And it goes to show you, athletes are much more than what they appear to be. He's much more than dribbling. He's much more than shooting. So for him, he didn't shut up. So now, what we're starting to see, athletes-- because for the longest time, we've debunked this theory-- dumb jock. We've debunked that.

So now what we're starting to see is that we're starting to see athletes do other things. And he said, he said, man, they're about to-- man, Kobe, you're going to be depressed, and he's like-- you know, he said multiple things, than what I've cleaned up on air, Skip. He's said, no, it's not going to happen to me.

You can see the passion and desire, and just talking to him, you know why he was successful in his sport. And you know why just talking to him why he'll be successful in this. Is unbelievable. It's unbelievable, a basketball player, a former basketball player, won an Oscar. He won an Oscar. Top that.

I know somebody who didn't win one. I know somebody who didn't win one, and I know somebody who hasn't won one yet. Yea.

SKIP BAYLESS: Who?

SHANNON SHARPE: I ain't going to say nothing. I don't call no names. This is Kobe's show. This is Kobe's segment. Kobe, you do your thing. Kobe, my dog.

SKIP BAYLESS: I really don't know who you're talking about.

SHANNON SHARPE: You know who I'm talking about.

SKIP BAYLESS: I don't.

SHANNON SHARPE: Who hasn't won an Oscar in the NBA, who played NBA basketball?

SKIP BAYLESS: Oh, Michael Jeffrey.

SHANNON SHARPE: Yes.

SKIP BAYLESS: The real 23.

SHANNON SHARPE: And who's going to win an Oscar for the directing, or writing, or producing?

SKIP BAYLESS: When did Michael Jordan ever set out to win an Oscar?

SHANNON SHARPE: I'm just telling you what's going to happen.

SKIP BAYLESS: So that means Kobe's better than Michael? Is that what's out there? Is that what you're tyring to angle toward?

SHANNON SHARPE: Dear basketball-- I'm going to write me one with dear football. I'm going to win me an Oscar.