NBA Legend Kobe Bryant on the Art of Luxuriating

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Although Kobe Bryant may not be as fashion-forward as fellow NBA player-turned-designer Russell Westbrook, he's a man who definitely knows what he likes. The recently retired Lakers superstar known as "Black Mamba" could probably collab with anyone, but he tells us that he continues to work with luxury Swiss watch brand Hublot because "it's a very comfortable area for me, where it's not too high fashion; it's a nice hybrid of athleticism and fashion. And every design tells a story."

As part of his longtime brand ambassador role for Hublot, last night Bryant hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at the company's redesigned Beverly Hills shop, where he showed us his latest timepiece—the Classic Fusion Kobe Bryant HeroVillain—exclusively available at the BH boutique. He also revealed that what he lacks in fashion-savvy he gains in beautification; the man is serious about his bodycare.

"I get manicures, pedicures, massages, facials—I always have, even when I was playing," he explains while we casually tried to catch a glimpse of his (perfectly manicured!) hands. "I feel like taking care of your body from head to toe has a way of manifesting itself into how you prepare for a game because you have to pay attention to details. Your body has a chance of rewarding you, so return the favor. It's like buying roses for your wife."

A photo posted by Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) on Apr 18, 2016 at 10:46pm PDT

Bryant might have a future in writing, because that analogy was rather poetic. If you're looking to run into him during your weekly mani-pedi run, you'll have to head to Orange County, because both his and his gorgeous wife's go-to spot is Happy Nails in Newport Beach. "Everyone knows me there," he adds. "They're like 'Oh, hey, there's Kobe again!'"