Kemp's Interview with GQ

http://www.gq.com/sports/guides/201204/matt-kemp-los-angeles-dodgers

Matt Kemp Still ♥ L.A.

While Mr. "Moneybags" Moreno stepped up to challenge the Dodgers for Southland supremacy, L.A.'s true blue countered by signing center fielder Matt Kemp to a monstrous eight-year $160 million contract. Here, Kemp—sometime Rihanna escort, GQ's vote for 2011 MVP—offers his tips for making the most of his new home-for-life

by Daniel Riley
April 1, 2012

More impressive than the numbers—a Triple-crown contending .324 batting average, 39 home runs, and 126 RBIs—was the fact that Matt Kemp raked, like he hadn't in his career, decidedly in spite of the toxic management conditions that shadowed the Dodgers all season. The financial fiascos of owner Frank McCourt and his wife, Jamie, drew the majority of attention at Chavez Ravine in 2011 (that pulpy Vanity Fair feature detailed the disgusting use of just about every overleveraged and mis-spent dime of team revenue), and fans boycotted to the tune of a 17.6% drop in home-game attendance. "You could feel it," Kemp said in February.

"For that stadium not to be filled up like we're used to, everyone all spread out in the different sections—it was awkward." Just before the All-Star break, the Dodgers were 41-51, their worst mid-season record in over a decade. And yet by year's end, in no small part propped on the backs of 23-year-old National League Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw and Triple Crown contender Kemp, the Dodgers wrapped '11 with an NL-bashing hot streak and, ultimately, a W-L a respectable three games over .500.

It was the kind of regular season fans will willfully skitter from mind: Images of the Brian Stowe beating, the McCourt divorce squabblings, the team bankruptcy filing papers, and the deserted outfield pavilions are the shameful sort proud clubs long to forget. And yet the Dodgers' first off-season move was the right one. No, not a displacement of McCourt as owner (Magic, by the way, is still in contention for that throne), but rather a heavy-handed, deliberate play to keep Kemp—the rarest of 2011 glimmers—in Tinseltown for the long-run.

"Man, it was such a relief," he said of the contract extension. "I just love it in L.A. This is the team that gave me the opportunity to play in the big leagues, so you know I've never worn another color, I've always worn blue. I couldn't see myself wearing another jersey."

We took the occasion to tap Matty Franchise on his tips for L.A.-livin':

Don't Be Too Cool to Geek Out on Celebrities
"In Hollywood, for me, it's all about the movie stars and the singers. Baseball players don't draw too much attention, we're low key. I'm good with faces and sometimes bad with names, but I'll walk up to somebody if I know who they are...show them some love. I'll absolutely walk up to a star I recognize, and I say, 'Aw, man, I love your movie' or 'I love your music.' And now we're to a point where they're like, 'Man, I love your game.' And it's still kinda new for me, so I'm like, 'Man, that dude watches baseball; that's tight.'"

Zen Out with Phil Jackson
"I wasn't much of a beach guy when I first moved to town, but I think the older I get, the more I like being on the beach—Malibu, Manhattan Beach. It's really peaceful. I remember one time I was out on the beach, and I saw Phil Jackson just chillin', and I was like, 'This is where I need to be, man....' Nobody was bothering him; everybody was just chillin' and relaxing and just doing whatever they feel like doing. And Phil's all Zenned out. I even thought about buying a house on the beach, but I haven't found anything yet."

If You're Looking for Restaurant Recs, Andre Ethier's Your Man
"One of my teammates, Andre [Ethier], he's big into food, and he knows about all the restaurants—Philippe Chow, Mastro's. Anything I need to know, I go ask him."

Root For The Home Team (At Least One of 'Em)
"I've been a Lakers fan since growing up in Oklahoma. My hometown's finally got the Thunder, which is really exciting, but I've still got to stick with the Lakers. And now that my boy Blake has got Chris Paul, the Clippers are the ones to watch this year."

Load Up Your Order at the Staples Center
"Our Dodgers guys talk with the Lakers guys and if there's availability, they kind of let us sit where we want to sit. Same with concerts. They have a lot of great food there. Whenever I go, I get me some California Pizza Kitchen, some of that caramel popcorn, and you can't ever forget Sour Patches..."

L.A. Raises The Bar: Don't Hold It Against Your Hometown
"I get bored real easy. I'm so used to L.A. and the pace that when I go home now I start thinking, 'Something's not right, something's not feelin' right.' I just gotta do what I gotta do in Oklahoma and get back to the fast-paced city."

Test Out A Few Neighborhoods Before Settling Down
"My first years with the Dodgers, the play has been to rent a place in town during the season, and then head back to my house in Arizona during the off-season. The first neighborhood was Culver City. This past year I was in Westwood, closer to Beverly Hills. Now I'm looking for a house—haven't found one yet, but looking to settle in."

No Need For An Entourage
"My teammates and I spend as much time together going out as we want. We spend a lot of time together, you know, more time than with our own families, so there is a lot of going out to eat and hanging out. If my friends are in town, I hang out with them; if they're not in town, I'm by myself. I'm not afraid to be alone. It's usually me and one or two of my homeboys—definitely no entourage."

Blow Your $180 Million On Only The Things You've Loved Since You Were Little
"When I spend money on myself it's almost always on shoes and clothes. I'm addicted to shoes. I always have been, since I was a kid. When I was young, I could never get the shoes I really wanted. Now if I see a pair of shoes in a store I go straight to get them, or if I see somebody wearing a pair I like, I might ask right out and see about where I can find some for myself. Just a few minutes ago I bought some Lanvins—that's one of my favorite shoes."

Get Yourself A Hollywood Stylist
"Since I moved to town, I've learned to dress from looking at pictures on the Internet, watching TV and movies, and just plain living in L.A. In New York, we get to go shopping before we head to the stadium, do a little damage. But I have someone help me shop for certain events. They work with a couple of people, but I think I'm their only athlete."

In L.A. It's All About Cars, But It Should Be Quality Over Quantity
"I don't have a ton of cars, but the three I do, I made them count: a 2012 Range Rover, a Camaro, and a 2011 four-door Aston Martin Rapide. That's my baby. Three cars—that's enough for one man."

Tap Your Bros In A Similar Income Bracket For Auto Advice
"My friend Trevor [Ariza], he plays in the NBA for the Hornets, and I told him, 'I want a new car, man, I just don't know what car I want,' and I said, 'I want a car that nobody has,' and he says, 'Oh, man, those four-door Aston Martins...' and I Googled it and I was like, man I fell in love with it instantly."

Respect In-N-Out, But Recognize Its Limitations
"I really haven't eaten much of In-N-Out. You've gotta remember that place is tough if you're not a beef guy. For me, it's my chicken and my turkey and my fishes."

Love The L.A. Legends
"Vin Scully will come down and talk with us before or after a game, but for the most part he's up there in his broadcasting booth doing his thing. Sometimes we'll be hanging out in the locker room and as the game is going on, you'll hear some stuff that he says... He knows a lot of things about me that I don't even know about myself."

In L.A., the Beaten Path Ain't Bad
"I go where everyone else goes: classic spots. I don't know too many hideouts. Now that things are changing, I probably need to find some, though, huh?"

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