See Vanessa Bryant’s Return to the Lakers Arena
Vanessa Bryant will love Kobe Bryant forever and always.
The 41-year-old made sure to keep her late husband close to her heart for Taylor Swift‘s string of shows in Los Angeles. As seen in photos posted on Instagram Stories Aug. 3, just hours before Taylor was scheduled to hit the stage for her first concert at SoFi Stadium, Vanessa included a large silkscreen of Kobe and the pop star on the back of her Eras Tour jacket.
The image—taken in 2015 when Kobe presented Taylor with a banner for setting the record for most sold-out shows at Staples Center—was framed by a bejeweled border and felted letters reading “SWIFTIE.” Vanessa also sewed a heart-shaped patch with the words “say you’ll remember me”—a reference to Taylor’s 2014 smash hit “Wildest Dreams”—onto the front of her jacket.
She captioned her photo of her concert ‘fit, “Mambacita.”
Kobe and Vanessa’s oldest daughter Natalia, 20, is also preparing to attend the Eras Tour, sharing a video of herself making friendship bracelets to trade with other Swifties.
Kobe was a huge Taylor fan before his death in 2020. In addition to their onstage encounter during the 1989 World Tour, the L.A. Lakers legend was known to blast Taylor’s music when given the chance.
“I think it’s important to listen to people who do great things,” he shared during a 2019 appearance on The Jordan Harbinger Show. “Taylor’s been at the top of the game for a very, very long time.”
Lionel Hahn/Getty Images
Kobe continued at the time, “I don’t care if you like her music or 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 so I look at things like that to try and learn from them as much as I can.”
When Kobe died alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant and seven others in a helicopter crash, Taylor took to social media to express her condolences. “My heart is in pieces hearing the news of this unimaginable tragedy,” she tweeted in January 2020. “I can’t fathom what the families are going through. Kobe meant so much to me and to us all.”
Taylor added, “Sending my prayers, love, and endless condolences to Vanessa and the family and anyone who lost someone on that flight.”
Keep scrolling to see Vanessa and more stars at the Eras Tour.
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