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Two legends, one stage: Taylor Swift is joined by NBA great Kobe Bryant during first night of her 1989 Tour in Los Angeles

Published: 11:31 EST, 22 August 2015 | Updated: 14:07 EST, 22 August 2015

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Taylor Swift is usually the one bringing surprises to her concerts, but Kobe Bryant did the honours during Friday night's show.

The 36-year-old basketball player was there to unveil a banner commemorating Taylor's five sold-out concerts at Los Angeles' Staples Center.

'The banner's up at Staples Center right now because WHAT IS LIFE EVEN,' wrote the 25-year-old singer after the show. The Staples Center is where Kobe's team, the Los Angeles Lakers, plays.

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Surprise: Taylor Swift (left) got a happy shock when Kobe Bryant (right) joined her on-stage during Friday's show in Los Angeles

It apparently was a shock to Taylor that she would be honoured with a 'championship banner' during the show, although the arrival of Kobe seemed to be expected.

'I just thought you were going to come out and wave to the crowd,' Taylor exclaimed after the banner was revealed. 'This is an amazing surprise!'

Reading 'Taylor Swift: Most sold out performances' in large block letters, the banner went up on the first of five shows planned for LA.

Record-setter: For selling out five concerts at LA's Staples Center, Taylor was given a 'championship banner' to hang from the rafters

The banners up at Staples Center right now because WHAT IS LIFE EVEN

A photo posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Aug 22, 2015 at 2:29am PDT

Excited: Afterwards, Taylor made it clear that both Kobe's presence and the honour were very exciting to her

She made her gratitude for the honour clear even while Kobe was up on the stage with her, but Taylor made sure to clarify her excitement afterwards as well.

'The screams you hear from an LA crowd when Kobe walks out onstage are so deafening you think you may have permanent hearing loss. But it was SO WORTH IT,' the Shake It Off singer wrote to Instagram.

While Kobe's visit might have marked the most notable celebrity guest of the night, the stars were out in-force to see Taylor's show.

Hearing loss: Thanks to the fan response to Kobe and to Taylor's honour, the 25-year-old singer wrote to Instagram that she might have hearing loss - and that it was worth it

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Big act: The sold-out Los Angeles shows are part of Taylor's headline-making 1989 World Tour

Standard procedure: Kobe's announcement was a surprise, but Taylor has had special guests on-stage with her at most of her recent shows

Taylor's gal pal, 20-year-old model Gigi Hadid, was spotted arriving for the gig, along with her boyfriend, 26-year-old Joe Jonas.

Also at the show were a pair of more unlikely Taylor fans: actors Jamie Foxx and Mark Wahlberg.

As has been standard at many of Taylor's shows on the 1989 Tour, the superstar singer brought up a colleague to sing with her for one tune.

Collaborator: For Friday's show, Taylor sang Counting Stars with OneRepublic frontman and past collaborator Ryan Redder (right)

One of many: Others who have shared the stage with Taylor include Julia Roberts, Joan Baez, Lena Dunham, Cara Delevingne, and more

On Friday, that was Ryan Tedder, the 36-year-old OneRepublic frontman and Taylor's collaborator on the songs, Welcome To New York and I Know Places.

The pair sang Counting Stars, one of OneRepublic's biggest hits.

Taylor has been bringing friends and music stars onto the stage throughout her current tour - Julia Roberts, Joan Baez, Cara Delevingne, Serena Williams, Fifth Harmony, Lorde, Lena Dunham, Heidi Klum, and the U.S. Women's soccer team are among those hanging with the singer.