Taylor Swift honors Kobe Bryant with new necklace: "Bet on yourself"
New York, New York - Taylor Swift subtly honored late NBA legend Kobe Bryant with a special piece of jewelry highlighting his famous "Mamba mentality."
While out in New York City on Thursday, the 34-year-old pop star rocked a gold-and-diamond necklace bearing the quote "Bet on yourself" credited to the iconic athlete, who tragically died in a helicopter crash in 2020.
The jewelry comes from a collection created by Kobe's wife, Vanessa Bryant, in partnership with Zoë Chicco Fine Jewelry, per PEOPLE.
Vanessa took to her Instagram story on Friday to gush over Taylor wearing the necklace, and she reshared a quote from the Karma singer's TIME Magazine Person of the Year feature, where she proved the empowering quote has really taken hold in her life.
In the interview, Taylor shed light on her decision to make a deal directly with movie theaters to release The Eras Tour movie, bypassing the "middleman" of studios and streamers who underestimated the project.
"Ultimately, I did what I tend to do more and more often these days, which is to bet on myself," she said, repeating Kobe's mantra.
Taylor shares a long history of mutual support with the Bryant family, one that she highlighted in the concert film as she helped make Kobe and Vanessa's daughter, Bianka, the real star of the show.
Taylor Swift honored the Bryant family at The Eras Tour in Los Angeles
The Eras Tour concert film, which was filmed during Taylor's six-night stint at SoFi Stadium in August, featured the seven-year-old receiving the coveted 22 hat, which the Cruel Summer songstress hands to one lucky fan during each performance.
While Taylor's connection to the Bryants spans over a decade, one of the most memorable moments of her career came with the help of Kobe himself.
In 2015, the Los Angeles Lakers star joined her on stage during the 1989 World Tour to unveil a championship banner honoring her historic run of 16 sold-out shows at the Staples Center.
Kobe further praised Taylor in a 2019 interview on The Jordan Harbinger Show, where he applauded her achievements in the music industry and shared that she is one of the people he looks up to for her ability to be "at the top of the game for a very, very long time."
He also gushed over her kindness towards his daughters, adding, "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."
Cover photo: Collage: Christopher Polk / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & Michael TRAN / AFP