Take comfort Michael Phelps and Alex Rodriguez: A superstar athlete's image can heal.

Time, good behavior and winning can bring public relations and endorsement portfolio salvation.

The best case study is Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant, the front man donning a collared shirt, boxers and socks, hamming it up and lip syncing to Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll" in an Activision "Guitar Hero IV: World Tour" commercial that began airing last fall.

The "Risky Business" sendoff signaled a continuing marketing comeback for Bryant, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player who, five years ago, saw his good-guy reputation suffer and several of his sponsors flee amid sexual-assault allegations. The criminal charges were dropped, the civil case was settled but the damage was done.

But now it's Olympic gold-medalist swimmer Phelps and New York Yankees slugger Rodriguez, the boxer-wearing mock guitarists in Bryant's "Guitar Hero" living room band, who are caught with their pants down.

In the last two weeks, Phelps was photographed while apparently taking a hit from a marijuana bong, and A-Rod copped to using performance-enhancing drugs from 2001 to 2003, which included an American League MVP season.

They're nobody's heroes right now, with or without a toy guitar. They've been stripped of their "role model" status and saddled with soiled reputations, making them risky business for sponsors.

Sports marketing experts believe that both Phelps and Rodriguez, having now issued the public apologies that are Step 1 in the image rehabilitation handbook, will now spend several years salvaging their golden-boy, best-in-their-sport reputations

It has taken time — five years and counting — for Bryant to recover his popularity and estimated $20 million marketing mojo after he was charged in 2003 with sexually assaulting a star-struck, 19-year-old hotel employee in Colorado. Bryant maintained the encounter was consensual.

His marriage suffered. Some fans turned on him. Several sponsors, among them Nutella hazelnut spread, McDonald's, Sprite, Spalding and Nintendo, dropped him or let their contracts expire. No new blue-chip companies dared to touch him during a 14-month pre-trial that ended short of jury selection.

Nike, who had signed him to a four-year, $45 million deal weeks before the charges were filed, stuck by All-Star with three championship rings, keeping him quietly in its NBA stable but holding off on featuring him in ads until 2005.

Upper Deck, the Carlsbad-based trading card and memorabilia company, kept Bryant on board as one of its "exclusive" athletes, a relationship dating back to 2000.

"We never distanced ourselves from him — unlike in our relationship with (NFL quarterback and convicted dog-fighter) Michael Vick, whose contract we voided right away," said Upper Deck spokesman Terry Melia. "With Kobe, we wanted to see how things played out. Even when things were turbulent, people were still buying his merchandise."

The years have been restorative for Bryant, now an 11-time All-Star who used the time to come back new, more likeable and, apparently, improved.

He poured his energies into his game, establishing himself as the premier player in the league, turning out nightly highlights, putting up a historic 81-point game and leading the Lakers to the 2008 NBA Finals.

The world had long known that Bryant, since jumping from high school to the NBA in 1996, was a great basketball player. The world, however, didn't know what to make of Bryant as a flawed man.

Special feature Main attraction A look at the highs and lows of Lakers guard Kobe Bryant's career. NBCSports.com

With time, he matured. He even changed his number from 8 to 24. He remained the fiercest of must-win competitors but softened around the edges, becoming a Lakers leader and a less-selfish player on the floor. He started to look like he enjoyed playing the game.

Off the court, he kept a low profile. He saved his marriage. He has been the doting father to two daughters. Citing "Carpe Diem" (Seize the Day) as his personal mantra, he rebuilt himself.

Fans forgave. His popularity returned. The winning, which included a 2008 Olympic gold medal, continued. Sponsors have seen "a resurrection in Kobe," Melia said.

Sony put him on the cover of its "NBA 07" electronic game. Then, Vitaminwater, a product of Coca-Cola, which let its Sprite contract expire with Bryant before signing LeBron James, partnered with Bryant for a "Kobe Diem" campaign. Activision, with its "Guitar Hero" franchise, tapped Bryant to do his best Tom Cruise.

"It's been really enjoyable to watch people gain a better understanding of the full spectrum of Kobe's personality," said Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka. "In addition to being incredibly driven and focused, people are now seeing that Kobe also has a really funny and charming side too."

Upper Deck ramped up production of Bryant-themed products, capitalizing on his surging popularity and his unparalleled game. It featured him on the packaging of its 2008-09 MVP trading card set, which includes more than 100 insert cards commemorating each game during Bryant's MVP season.

"Kobe, more than any athlete, is very involved with our creative team in how we present him, and he drives the products," said Brian Bayne, the project coordinator for Upper Deck Authenticated, which features more than 100 Bryant items ranging from autographed jerseys to limited-edition photos and basketballs. "Working with him, we've gotten to see he's a fun guy."

NBA All-Star Game Kobe, Shaq lead West to All-Star rout Opinion: All-Star showcase is glowing moment Opinion: MVP race to highlight second half   Slideshow: 2009 All-Star Game action Expert: 10 storylines for season's second half Little Man Nate wins slam dunk contest   Slideshow: 2009 slam dunk contest Roundup: Miami's Cook wins 3-point Shootout Miami's Wade is coming of age  |  Vote International dreams now reality  |    Images More coverage of the NBA

And Nike made Bryant the face behind the Hyperdunk sneaker it launched in Team USA's crusade for Olympic gold at the Beijing Games, which catapulted Bryant to deity status in China.

Once marketing Bryant as a hard-nosed competitor with a singular focus on excellence, Nike now showcases a looser, more likeable Bryant in its viral marketing campaigns. He's a YouTube favorite for his ads that have him selling ankle insurance, leaping an Aston Martin and battling snakes in a pool — all in time for the Feb. 2 release of Bryant's fourth signature Nike sneaker, Kobe IV.

Battling legal problems in 2003, it would have been hard to predict whether Bryant's reputation would ever recover. But as Bryant prepares to play in another NBA All-Star Game, the verdict seems clear: A superstar can make a complete comeback.

MORE FROM NBA

NBA Section Front

Celtics bounce back to keep Nets winless Mavs blow out Raptors in Howard’s return Crawford, Smith help Hawks rout Nuggets Disgruntled Iverson leaves Griz with permission Evans’ career-high 32 lifts Kings over Jazz N.Y. wants LeBron to be its king Where were you when Magic shocked the world? Nets forward Douglas-Roberts has swine flu Pistons' Prince out indefinitely with disc rupture Lakers’ Bynum, Gasol doubtful for Sunday NBA Section Front   Add NBA headlines to your news reader: