When Kobe Bryant Praised ‘Killer’ Taylor Swift for Being “At the Top of the Game for a Very Long Time”

Since Vanessa Bryant drove her and Kobe Bryant’s daughters Bianka and Natalia to see Taylor Swift perform at the Eras Tour on August 3 in Los Angeles, a resurfaced interview from 2019 is making the internet swoon. The clip shows Bryant praising the Cruel Summer singer’s career longevity and her instinct, as per PEOPLE. “I think it’s important to listen to people who do great things,” Kobe said on The Jordan Harbinger Show in 2019.

That summer, Lover , Swift’s seventh studio album, was released. It was her sixth straight album to enter the charts at the top spot. “You can’t have that level of consistent success and not be a killer,” Kobe explained. “It’s impossible.”

Swift’s success was essentially what Kobe was referring to, and he confessed to having many unanswered queries. “How does she write? How does she get into that space where she can 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. It’s not just genre-specific, but it’s like, Taylor has been at the top of the game for a very, very long time. How and why?”

The “Mamba Mentality” that Kobe saw in Swift motivated the five-time NBA champion. “I don’t care if you don’t like her music. Look at what she’s doing,” he continued. “It’s unbelievable to be able to pull that off over and over and over. And so, I try to learn from it as much as I can.”

Kobe developed a relationship with Swift that went beyond his respect for her as a musician because of his daughters. “She’s a sweet kid. She was a sweetheart to my girls before she even blew up and became Taylor Swift.”

The former Laker appreciated the popular popstar’s thoughtfulness towards his girls, saying, “If she needs something, I’m always there.”

After fans were moved by the touching interaction Swift had with Kobe’s family on Thursday during the Eras Tour, clips of the rediscovered interview quickly went viral, as reported by Good Morning America . Bianka was selected as the special fan who received Swift’s hat during her performance of 22 from her 2012 album Red , which was re-released as Red (Taylor’s Version) in 2021.

During each concert, Swift selects one fan to come to the front of the stage during that song and experience a unique moment with her. Bianka, the 6-year-old daughter of the late Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa, was chosen at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on August 3.

Swift hugged Bianka before gifting her the black “22” hat inspired by her appearance in the 22 music video and planting a kiss on her cheek. Vanessa Bryant posted the adorable moment to Instagram, writing alongside it, “We love you @taylorswift.”

References:

https://people.com/kobe-bryant-praised-sweetheart-taylor-swift-in-resurfaced-2019-interview-7569887

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/taylor-swift-shares-sweet-moment-kobe-bryants-daughter-bianka-eras-tour-102026259