IMAGE, FINANCES COULD TAKE A BEATING.

Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer

Regardless of the outcome of his criminal case, Lakers star Kobe Bryant could foul out in the endorsement world after Friday's sexual-assault charge and acknowledgment he has committed adultery.

Seen as one of the few nice guys in the NBA, the charges filed against Bryant in Vail, Colo., are likely to dog the 24-year-old superstar's image for the rest of his career, according to sports marketing experts.

``Every company with any current or future interest in Kobe are all sitting on the sidelines waiting to see what unfolds,'' said Paul Swangard, managing director of sports marketing studies at University of Oregon. ``There's really an image-control factor that will require him to reinforce the image he created for himself.''

Married and the father of a baby daughter, Bryant had managed to maintain an exemplary image on and off the court, which had led to high-profile endorsement deals with McDonald's, Sprite, Spalding and Upper Deck worth an estimated $10 million or more annually.

In the weeks before his arrest, Bryant had signed a $45 million contract with Nike, a deal that was seen as an opportunity for the Lakers superstar to finally become a major presence in the shoe and apparel market.

``He is a great player,'' Nike spokesman Nigel Powell said in a statement Friday. ``Kobe has stated that he is innocent of the charges.''

Because it is a legal matter, Powell said the company could not make further comment. A McDonald's spokesman also declined to comment on the pending case.

For his part, Bryant issued a statement Friday in which he vowed to fight the charges and made his priorities clear: ``I have so much to live for. And by that I don't mean the contracts, or the money, or the fame. I mean my family. I will fight for them.''

But experts agree much of Bryant's endorsement earning power lies ahead of him, and unless he is exonerated, it will be virtually impossible to rehabilitate his public image to its former glory.

``President Clinton can get away with hanging out with interns and still survive on the public's affinity for him,'' Swangard said. ``This is the kind of crime that doesn't paint a really rosy picture for him moving forward. It's one thing if you're caught drunk-driving or trashing a hotel room. We're talking about a married guy, a 19-year-old girl, all the makings of something he'd be shackled with for the next few years in endorsements where he only has a limited amount of career time left on court.''

David Carter, a Los Angeles-based sports business consultant, said Bryant stands to lose everything with any kind of conviction.

``Given how he has been positioned to date and how favorably people think of him, there's no way the bottom won't fall out as far his ability to be revered and his ability to sell products,'' he said.

Unlike a number of sports stars with bad-boy images, Bryant's commercial appeal was based on the squeaky-clean persona he had cultivated.

``He's got this unbelievable charisma and poise about him and always had an international flair to him,'' Carter said. ``He transcends sports and ethnicities and cultures and everything else because of his international appeal. He stands in very rare company.''

Bryant's wife, Vanessa, issued a statement Friday in which she confirmed Bryant had been unfaithful. But she has stood by him, saying he is innocent of sexual assault and was publicly by his side during this week's nationally televised ESPY Awards.

``If it's the case where there is some level of indiscretion involved somewhere, I think he can recover,'' Carter said. ``A lot of people, while they might not like it, will be able to relate to it and find him to be as human as anyone else. Clearly his mistakes are that much more magnified. But he will be able to overcome if it is a one-time indiscretion.''

Bryant not only has broad appeal, but the championship credentials to back it up. He is a five-time All-Star and has been on three Lakers championship teams.

``He has this quiet elegance about him whether you are a men's-clothing manufacturer or a soft-drink purveyor,'' Swangard said. ``He is one of those guys where you would think Rolex and high-quality brands. Despite his youth, he really seemed to walk into the quagmire of Hollywood and Los Angeles and seemed to almost blossom in that environment. He came out with the beautiful wife, the family and championship rings on his fingers.''

The knock on Kobe when it comes to endorsements is the holy grail in the basketball endorsement world: shoes and apparel.

``With Adidas, he didn't move the product they had hoped for,'' Swangard said. ``You need street credibility to resonate with the younger crowd, which is the way that market is built. He signed the Nike deal just a few weeks ago, and the belief was that he has had a unique career and was coming into the sweet potential of his playing career. There was a sense that he was moving into a different era of his career.''

Specifically, the lack of street credibility has hurt Bryant when it comes to selling shoes and athletic clothing, even though as a high-scoring guard, he should have the potential for growth in that area.

``When you go out to the playground and kids pretend to be somebody, they never pretend to be Shaq. They can't be Shaq; he's larger than life,'' Swangard said. ``If I'm making a last-second shot to win the game, I'm Kobe Bryant.''

Greg Hernandez, [phone]

greg.hernandez(at)dailynews.com

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Kobe Bryant likely faces a long road back to restore his image, which could hurt his endorsement potential.

Associated Press