Do You Know Which Legendary Athlete Won Both Olympic Gold And Oscar?

Roger Federer never took home a gold medal at the Olympics, Tupac never received a Grammy and Stanley Kubrick never won an Oscar. But these individuals are nevertheless revered as legends in their respective fields. To be the recipient of several industry awards, one must be a real master and an absolute legend in multiple fields. A recent social media post highlighting Kobe Bryant’s success as the only person to win both an Olympic gold and an Oscar has brought attention to one of his most notable achievements.

In the entertainment business, these celebrities are known as EGOT winners, which stands for people who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, or Tony. A select group of people — among them Audrey Hepburn, Viola Davis, John Legend, Mel Brooks, Jennifer Hudson and Whoopi Goldberg — have accomplished the achievement of mastering TV, music, cinema and theatre.

Some very interesting people have been the recipients of both the Nobel Prize and the Oscar. George Bernard Shaw, an Irish writer, and musician Bob Dylan are the only two individuals who have accomplished this achievement. Though receiving a Nobel Prize and an Oscar may seem completely incompatible, nothing can match the accomplishment of taking home a gold medal from the Olympics and an Academy Award — something that has only been accomplished by Kobe Bryant.

In 2008, an American basketball star won his first gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. He shared the 2012 gold medal with a legendary group of athletes that includes LeBron James, Tayshaun Prince, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams.

On March 4, 2018, during the 90th Academy Awards ceremony, Bryant won an Oscar for a short animated film that he wrote and narrated. Drawing inspiration from his own poetry of the same name from 2015, Dear Basketball was an introspective remembrance of his own experiences playing the game. He shared the award with Director Glen Keane, who is most recognised for his work on several Disney animated films, such as 1991’s Beauty and the Beast, 1999’s Tarzan and 2010’s Tangled.

Bryant and the other eight passengers, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, were killed after the helicopter crashed into a California hillside on January 26, 2020.