He’s been balling for a dirty dozen, and what does he have? Three rings and one abiding passion: to win. Kobe sits down with Complex founder Marc Ecko to discuss legacy, image and who can do more push-ups.

Story By Marc Ecko; Photography by Robyn Twomey; Styling by Kelly McCabe

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(groomer) brynn doering for artistuntied.com; (LOCATION) LE RIVAGE HOTEL, SACRAMENTO, CA.; (photos) Fabolous demo: getty images; remainder: ap photo

Like a lot of NBA fans, I went through the cynical thing with Kobe. The hate bandwagon was easy: Mr. Popular. Mr. Best-Dressed. Everything too good to be true. The best thing since Jordan. But after all the obstacles he’s faced—the media, the scandal, beef with his team (and ex-teammates)—you start to take inventory, and he’s fucking undeniable. He fell down, got some blood in his mouth, and he got up, no different from anyone else who loves his job. I’ve come to like and respect him immensely, and I attribute that all to what he’s given us on the court. He’s become authentically who he is: that guy who just wants to win. He’s one of the finest and most mature players on the court, and one of the most disciplined athletes in the world. You just gotta give it up to him. He is the league. Greatness is measured in backing up your promise, and that’s exactly what he does. He’s a throwback to that generation that died with Jordan. And he’s living up to that more than any other player right now. There’s a purity there. Even as he enters the second half of his career, he’s still what’s next.

Hey, wanna have a push-up contest right now?

Kobe Bryant: Not really.

Wait, I thought you were competitive.

Kobe Bryant: I am. It’s just part of my family. My entire family played basketball. And my cousins, we used to always play in the summertime, and we used to just talk trash to each other and beat the crap out of each other—that’s kinda where it came from. ’Cause if you lost, they talked bad about you all day.

Was it a basketball-only thing?

Kobe Bryant: Nah, video games, swimming—it was just constantly verbally assaulting each other.

So when you’re out there and you’re playing, do you get angry?

Kobe Bryant: Sometimes I get angry, but I try to stay neutral. That’s the key. I mean, you can show a burst of emotion, ’cause sometimes that inspires your team; it can inspire you sometimes, too. But for the most part, I try to stay on an even keel, because that’s when you perform your best.

But do you think of it as you being emotional, or is it like a chess game: I’m trying to provoke a reaction from my teammates?

Kobe Bryant: Nah, nah, you just play the game. We’ve been together for a long time, so I know what motivates Lamar Odom, what motivates Sasha Vujacic or Pau Gasol. ’Cause I’ve been around them so much. So from that standpoint, it kinda becomes instinctive because you’re around these guys all the time. They become your brothers.

All right, so no push-up contests.

Kobe Bryant: No push-up contests.

Because I was telling my trainer I think I could beat you.

Kobe Bryant: Easy, easy—watch your mouth, now. [Laughs.]

So fame is a funny thing. You’re an icon around the world, and I know success brings you to these kind of Forrest Gump moments where you’re in the mix of history.

Kobe Bryant: The “How the hell did I get here?”…

Right. Besides going to the prom with Brandy—

Kobe Bryant: [Laughs.] That’s funny.

Besides that, tell me a Forrest Gump moment.

Kobe Bryant: This summer with the Olympics, that was pretty crazy, man. We’d go to the cafeteria in the Olympic Village—which is only for the Olympic athletes, nobody else was allowed in there—and see all these great athletes and I recognize all of ’em, ’cause I’m a sports buff just like anybody else. That was that moment where I was just like, Damn, this is pretty cool.

I don’t know if people understand how amazing China is. I was in Beijing recently, and every time I’ve gone there for the last decade, it blows my mind. Is there anything you bought there that was really special?

Kobe Bryant: We didn’t have a chance to [shop]. Everything we bought was Olympic-related.

You didn’t buy any bootleg shit?

Kobe Bryant: [Mock-shocked] No, I didn’t buy any movies! I didn’t buy Kanye’s album that just came out! I didn’t buy that! [Laughs.]

Let’s rewind to, what were you, 18 when you came into the league?

Kobe Bryant: I signed my first contract when I was 17. I actually had to have my parents’ signature on the contract, ’cause I wasn’t of age. Then once I turned 18, they restructured the contract.

And everybody was throwing that MJ thing on you, if you liked it or not.

Kobe Bryant: Right.

I’ve seen you get bullied by interviewers trying to get you to deal with the analogy. Forget his on-court legacy for a minute. When we talk about Michael, he had the tongue, he had the baggy pants, the Spike Lee commercials, Space Jam, the really bad Hanes commercials.

Kobe Bryant: [Laughs.]

What will be Kobe Bryant’s pop-culture legacy?

Kobe Bryant: We live in a different era. When Michael came up, he was the first one to really pioneer the concept of royalties and shoes and so forth—and for me and the newer generation, we tend to look more towards longevity: owning it yourself, really building the business yourself. Home // CELEBRITIES // COVER STORY // Kobe Bryant