Kobe Bryant Joined The Retirement Beard Club
2016 NBAE
2016 Getty Images
What can united 66-year-old former late night talk show host and a 38-year-old legendary basketball player? Facial hair, naturally.
That's what brought Kobe Bryant and David Letterman together this week, as the former basketball player showed off his bushy new(ish) face piece on Sunday (above, left), and the latter spoke the the New York Times about his post-Late Show whiskers.
“I just got tired of shaving every day," Letterman told the paper of note, before adding this cryptic footnote: "But then it became something else, and I’m not quite sure what it became.”
Letterman, whose new look is far cry from his suited, clean-shaven appearance when he was beamed into millions of homes every weeknight, admits that there's some symbolism at play. “The beard is a good reminder to me that that was a different life," Letterman said. "I’m hopeful that I will either find something else, or something else will be presented to me.” He also noted that his son does not approve and finds it "creepy."
Meanwhile, Kobe seems to be embracing his post-court life as a card carrying man-with-beard. He's been working on his newfound facial hair in varying forms since he retired back in April, and which he referred to has the "retired caveman look."
While Letterman's has moved into a slightly unhinged territory, we'll give him a pass. Kobe, however, is looking great, like there's some serious care being put into his facial hair situation. And if the two ever get bored, what, with these empty days of jobless hours stretched out before them, they can always trade grooming secrets on the golf course.
Up Next: Clean-Shaven or Beard: Which Do Women Really Prefer?Max Berlinger is a freelance writer who's based in Brooklyn, NY. He has written for the New York Times, GQ, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Departures, Robb Report, Town & Country, and many other publications. He's interested in the way fashion and culture overlap. He's probably killing time on Twitter right... Read moreXInstagramRelated Stories for GQDavid LettermanKobe BryantBeards