GQ announced the four celebrities that will grace its cover for being named Man of the Year. This year, the honor went to three men and one woman, with all four people who received the honor getting some type of additional distinction that sets them apart from their other honorees.
Two of the recipients came from outside of sports — Stephen Colbert was named Bad Hombre of the Year and Gal Gadot was named Wonder Woman of the Year. As for the sports world’s recipients, Kevin Durant earned the title of Champion of the Year, while Colin Kaepernick was deemed the magazine’s Citizen of the Year.
Announcing GQ's Men (and Woman) of the Year 2017: @Kaepernick7, @StephenAtHome, @GalGadot, and @KDTrey5 https://t.co/5W5RMBKdku pic.twitter.com/LArjwrh3GX
— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) November 13, 2017
Durant’s distinction doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as he won his first NBA championship and was named NBA Finals MVP as a member of the Golden State Warriors. It was the culmination of a controversial move to the Bay by Durant, but seeing as how it ended with him winning his first ring, he ended up with the last laugh.
Kaepernick, on the other hand, did not get this title for his work on the field, as he’s been a free agent all season. However, his highly-publicized protest against police brutality and the treatment of African-Americans in the United States took on a new life this season when Donald Trump called him a “son of a bitch.” It sparked more players following Kaepernick’s lead and sitting/kneeling when the national anthem would play before games. Kaepernick’s cover story features a series of interviews from people like J. Cole, Harry Belafonte, and former Niners teammate Eric Reid.
