Last night (August 3), Taylor Swift started her run of The Eras Tour concerts at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (technically Inglewood). During the show, she shared a special moment with Bianka Bryant, daughter of late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant: Swift gave Bianka her “22” hat and a big hug.
Taylor Swift shares special moment with Kobe Bryant’s daughter Bianka, giving her the “22” hat at the Eras Tour in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/XpmDa41XC8
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) August 4, 2023
Kobe had a ton of respect for Swift, saying in a 2019 interview:
“I think it’s important to listen to people who do great things. […] Taylor’s been at the top of the game for a very, very long time. How and why? How did she write? How did she get into that mental space to be able to create things over and over and over? I mean, it’s a lot of pressure for her to follow up a No. 1 album with a better album. I don’t care if you like her music or you don’t like her music: Look at what she’s doing. It’s frightening stuff, it’s unbelievable to be able to pull that off over and over and over and over. So I’ll look at things like that to try to learn from them as much as I can. […] 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. But you can’t have that level of consistent success and not be a killer. It’s impossible.”
When Kobe died in 2020, Swift tweeted, “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.”
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