The congratulatory banner reads, “Taylor Swift, Most Sold Out Performances” for her record-setting 16 sold out shows.

Kobe Bryant surprised Taylor Swift with a congratulatory banner at Los Angeles’ Staples Center Friday night (Aug. 21).

The L.A. Lakers star gifted Swift with the banner on his home turf during the concert, which reads, “Taylor Swift, Most Sold Out Performances” for her record-setting 16 sold-out shows.

Watch below :

 

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Bryant pointed to the drop-down banner as fans screamed and before Swift hugged him in gratitude.

Swift took to Twitter to thank her fans, and Bryant, late Friday night with the caption,

“Tonight @kobebryant surprised me with a banner in @STAPLESCenter for the most sold out shows.  You did that. Love you.”

“My pleasure @taylorswift13 Keep breaking records and changing lives #1989TourLA,” Bryant tweeted in reply.

Ryan Tedder and One Republic also joined Swift on stage during the Los Angeles concert. Watch below.

 

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Read more: Taylor Swift’s Special Connection With Kobe Bryant and His Family

Over the course of its decades-long run, the NBA has occasionally seen intermingling with the musical industry. While occasional NBA stars, ala Damian Lillard have gone over into a rapping career, usually the trend is the other way around. As the game becomes more global, more and more celebrities find ways to get associated with it.

Perhaps no name is bigger in the musical industry over the past decade than Taylor Swift. Moreover, she has an incredible fascination with the game of basketball. Her biggest connection, though, lies with the late great Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers. Especially his daughters.

Sports and music are our two great unifiers. While there are tonnes of activities you can enjoy with friends and family, nothing brings together a crowd of strangers quite like a sporting or a musical event. Therefore, a crossover between the two is an ideal scenario for fans the world over.

How Did Kobe Bryant and Taylor Swift First Connect?

The first time the two properly interacted was, in fact, a surprise for the pop culture icon. During her record-setting 16th sold-out show at the Staples Center in 2015, Swift received a surprise guest on stage. None other than Los Angeles’ favorite son, Kobe Bryant.

At that point in time, the Lakers had 16 championship banners hanging in the arena. So, the Black Mamba was there to celebrate Swift making history in Staples Center. Further, to commemorate the occasion, Bryant had a special gift for the 12-time Grammy Award winner.

In typical Lakers fashion, Swift received her very own banner. The NBA legend even posted about it, captioning it, “Friends hang from time to time but banners hang forever.”

 

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Since then, the two got incredibly close. The lead singer of ‘Reputation‘ even forged a strong bond with his family. One, that resulted in the 5-time Champion complimenting her about it specifically.

Kobe Bryant’s 2019 interview: What words of admiration did he share about Taylor Swift?

When Bryant retired in 2016, it was one of the most surreal moments in sports history. A true artist, watching Kobe go to work on the basketball court was like watching a master brush his final strokes. So, it was no surprise to see the great one rise to the occasion one last time, even outperforming his longtime teammate Shaquille O’Neal‘s expectations. In attendance, however, was a close family friend, Taylor Swift.

As the years went on, Kobe too made the shift to mainstream media. In fact, he even won an Oscar for his short film, “Dear Basketball”. However, the seeds of inspiration came from none other than the international sensation.

On the Jordan Harbinger Show, Bean spoke about the impact Taylor had on his mentality. “I think it’s important to listen to people who do great things, you know? So it’s not just genre specific but it’s like, Taylor’s been at the top of the game for a very, very long time. How and why?” 

“How did she get into that mental space to be able to create things over and over and over? It’s a lot of pressure for her to follow up a number 1 album with a better album then follow with a better [album].” 

via Imago

To Kobe, it wasn’t a case of being a fan of her in general. The man synonymous with a mentality was in awe of her hard work. “I don’t care if you like her music or if you don’t like her music. Look at what she’s doing! It’s frightening. It’s unbelievable to be able to pull that off over and over and over. I look at things like that and try to learn from it as much as I can.”

For a man whose most defining trait was the killer gene, the Mamba mentality, Bryant had this to say about Swift. “You can’t have that level of consistent success and not be a killer, it’s impossible.” 

However, it wasn’t just her work ethic that drew Bryant to the pop star. More than that, it was her impressionability, and how quickly she’d taken to his daughters. The bond she developed with them further added to the admiration between the two.

“She’s a sweet kid. I mean, she was a sweetheart to my girls before she even blew up and became Taylor Swift. So that’s why I’ll always if she needs anything from me, I’m always there.”

To hear something so profound from a legend like Bryant is for sure a high symbol of respect. Moreover, the bond she shared with the family, just like the banner, became immortal. So, it was no surprise that Swift, like the rest of the world, was stunned, shocked, hurt, and sad on that fateful morning of January 26, 2020.

Taylor Swift’s Poignant Tribute to the NBA Legend Kobe Bryant in 2020

As reports of a possible pandemic raged on, the world suffered another blow. Kobe Bryant, just 41 years old, with a startling career as a writer, producer, actor, director, and maybe most importantly, father, ahead of him, was no more.

In a shocking helicopter crash in 2020, 7 others, Kobe and his eldest daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant had passed away. As the entire world mourned Kobe Bryant’s death, Swift joined the crowd. Taking to Twitter, she sent out a heartfelt message to the loved ones of Bean, ones she herself was incredibly close to.

My heart is in pieces hearing the news of this unimaginable tragedy. I can’t fathom what the families are going through. Kobe meant so much to me and to us all. Sending my prayers, love, and endless condolences to Vanessa and the family and anyone who lost someone on that flight.

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) January 26, 2020

The family returned the favor in kind. As Swift came back to the city of Angels for a show at the SoFi stadium, Vanessa Bryant was rocking a throwback. In a jean jacket with the immortal image of Kobe and Taylor sharing a stage, the Kobe’s family was ready to sing their hearts out.

After all, over the years, the entire family, especially Kobe Bryant’s daughters, has gotten extremely close to the Pennsylvania native.