Kobe Bryant, GQ Cover Boy, Talks Shaq And More (PHOTOS)

Kobe Bryant is on the cover of GQ's March issue, and he tells the magazine about his relationship with Shaq and his life off the court.

The Lakers star, who recently promoted a party with models wearing skimpy clothes but then did not show up to the event, is seen wearing a suit and holding a black basketball on the magazine's cover. Inside is a picture of him in a white athletic shirt.

On Shaq, Bryant says:

"The biggest mistake I made was responding to what he was saying about me. Once I responded, now that made it seem like I was part of that whole thing. It's like, Okay, these two are against each other. As opposed to just staying quiet, which is what I've been doing the last few years. Let him say what he needs to say."

On how he keeps his basketball mindset separate from his life off the court:

"What people see on court is another side of me; it's not me. That dark side that's coming to get you - ha ha! I'm not losing this fucking game - that's not who I am. That's part of me. Off the court, I'm completely different."

On being with so many top athletes at the Olympics:

"I felt like Harry Potter going to Hogwarts."

Check out the March issue of GQ for more.

LOOK:

Comments

[LeeCalif]

06:20 PM on 02/20/2010

criminal

[veritas88]

12:21 AM on 02/19/2010

he's a good-looking man. too bad about his discretions....but damn! he's fine!

[Clevelandinwi]

03:34 PM on 02/18/2010

Why don't the WOMEN of this country just pulverize these sick bastards. kobebriant, tiggerwoulds, etc. make me sick!

[Sobeton]

04:40 PM on 02/18/2010

wow! you sound hurt. these people committed no crimes.. their personal life's are really no business of yours. free your mind and live your own life..

[Clevelandinwi]

03:32 PM on 02/18/2010

Once a rapist, always a rapist! They're not when they can buy their way out of it ??????

[Sobeton]

01:10 PM on 02/18/2010

Kobe looks sharp! Congrats on the cover Black Mamba..

[Chgo29]

09:30 AM on 02/17/2010

I can't look at his picture without thinking about what he did in Colorado with that girl (and probably others). I don't know if he sexually assaulted her, but the fact that he cheated on his wife with some random chick is nasty. Guess it goes to show, though, that the public only keeps people like that off the covers for so long... soon enough Tiger will probably be welcomed back into the fold to. And for those who say it's just about sports, nope, when you are on the cover of a magazine like GQ it's kind of like saying you are a "GQ" type of person. I can't agree. Yuck.

[OnTheCusp]

12:29 PM on 02/17/2010

Glad I'm not the only one who remembers....

[Sobeton]

01:13 PM on 02/18/2010

fortunately, your views are in the minority.

[CaliTLC]

03:36 AM on 02/17/2010

DAYUM - Kobe Bryant CAN hang a suit. The suit is beautiful and Kobe looks gorgeous in it.

[FloridaEvans]

11:14 PM on 02/16/2010

Yes, I am aware of his extraordinary basketball skills, but I have to say it - Kobe is fine, fine, FINE! And I agree with AlaskaWannaB - there's nothing sexier than a well-dressed man.

[CaliTLC]

03:37 AM on 02/17/2010

Agreed.

[cbvani]

09:14 PM on 02/16/2010

Kobe ain't got Shaq's charisma, which is why shaq'll keep getting paid to do commentary after he retires and Kobe'll have to save.

[pinkindie]

12:01 PM on 02/18/2010

I like Shaq for his charitable contributions, of which there are many. And he can be funny, too. But what a back-stabber! He's stabbed every team he's played on in the back. Frankly, I think that Kobe would do better commentary. His level of knowledge of the game is really unsurpassed.

[faith2hope]

09:02 PM on 02/16/2010

Nice to see that HP decided to do a decent spot on a black athelete for a change. Actually the whole sports page for a change is not loaded with black faces and negative stories, perhaps we can get some actual sports news soon. I have to give you your props for the nice photo of Kobe he looks great on the cover. Hope to see more like this.

[hallbrook]

07:26 PM on 02/16/2010

Liveordie, your stupidity is is showing.
" They convicted him of rape and let him go" ...... Do you know how stupid you sound?

Show us one site where they convicted Kobe of rape and then let him go.

[EarlP]

06:55 PM on 02/16/2010

Greatest of all-time is an individual honor. WIth that said, basketball is a team sport. So number of championships won isn't the absolute factor of the greatest individual basketball player of all time. Even MVP's candidates are based on team performance, so they too aren't the absolute factor of greatest individual basketball player of all time.

With all that said, on an individual level...there has yet to be another player play in the NBA that has Kobe's overall skill level. No one has ever had a more fundamentally sound and polished game as Kobe. You can't name ONE player that matches Kobe's skill level, skill for skill. The closest to him is MJ. But MJ couldn't dribble or shoot (two main fundamental basketball skills) the way Kobe can. Hands down...Kobe is the single best player to ever play the game (to this date). Anything said to the contrary is nothing more than visceral "hate" speech.

[HereComesMegaCorp]

07:39 PM on 02/16/2010

Um... it's hard to say, without even leaving room for argument, that anyone is or ever has been better than Jordan. Kobe's hands are smaller and so he can't do the same things in the air that Jordan could in his prime. That's one mark against him. And Jordan could actually dribble incredibly well. And shoot? Jordan couldn't shoot? The entire second half of his career revolved around that fade away jumper that was good from anywhere inside the arc.

Kobe's great, don't get me wrong. But you're making some pretty crazy assertions. Are you his lover?

[Luv2Purple]

07:53 PM on 02/16/2010

Actually that is not close to being true. Magic had AMAZING basketball skills. There was literally nothing he could not do on the court - witness, as a rookie no less, filling in at CENTER - a point guard and scoring 42 w/ 15 rebounds and 7 assists - in the finals!!! and didn't Oscar almost average a triple double for his career? Oscar was another who could do anything, as could Kareem for one his size, an amazing ball handler and passer. When he was young he jumped right through the roof! I love Kobe's skills and we are clearly watching one of the all time greats. Talk to me in another 3-5 years, with another title or two and 5,000 more points and then we can talk about GOAT....but not now, too early.

[liveordie]

06:34 PM on 02/16/2010

Wasn't he convicted for rape in Colorado? Oh, they ley him go, I remember now.

[EarlP]

07:01 PM on 02/16/2010

Do you remember that he was falsely accused of rape, by a young woman who had very suspect credibility? Or are you just a slanderous "hater" by habit?

[OnlyIfIHaveTo]

07:23 PM on 02/16/2010

Get off your hate soap box, Earl. Kobe has always been a me firster. Telling Charlotte he didn't want to play for them & forcing a trade to LA. He was a d head then & he's one now. Elway was the same with Baltimore.

As far as the CO issue, buying ones way out of a trial that would've most likely found him guilty was a good move on his part.

[OnTheCusp]

12:31 PM on 02/17/2010

He's a rap*st. Freekin' duh!

[countfloyd]

06:25 PM on 02/16/2010

I had hope that when HuffPo added sports to the page we would get some intelligent stories that produced good debate. Instead we get Kobe Bryant hate pieces. What does him being on a poster with girls have to do with anything?

[AlaskanWannaB]

04:38 PM on 02/16/2010

Thank you for posing in clothes, Kobe! I'm tired of bare-chested men and women posing in their undies. Nothing beats a well-dressed man or woman!