Stranger Things Season 4 pays tribute to Kobe Bryant

Los Gatos, California - Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin subtly honored his real-life hero, Kobe Bryant, in the new season of the hit Netflix series.

Stranger Things' Caleb McLaughlin (l.) has honored his hero, NBA Legend Kobe Bryant (r).
Stranger Things' Caleb McLaughlin (l.) has honored his hero, NBA Legend Kobe Bryant (r).  © Christian Petersen/ MATT WINKELMEYER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

NBA legend Kobe "Mamba" Bryant received a touching tribute in the newly released season four of Stranger Things by one of the hit show's leading stars, Caleb McLaughlin.

McLaughlin's character Lucas Sinclair is a member of Hawkins High's basketball team. He subtly honored Bryant by wearing the legend's digit on his basketball jersey in the show.

Netflix revealed that the 20-year-old, who heralds Bryant as his real-life hero, came up with the idea for his on-screen character to wear Mamba's digit as a special tribute.

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"The #8 jersey Lucas wears is a nod to Kobe Bryant's first jersey number," Netflix tweeted. "@calebmclaughlin is a huge fan and had the idea to pay tribute to Kobe through his character's jersey."

Despite the number being factually incorrect, since high-school players could only wear numbers ending in 0 through 5 in the 1980s, the show producers loved the plan to honor Mamba and let him don it for filming.

Bryant famously wore the number 8 for the first 10 years of his career before changing it to number 24 at the start of the 2006-2007 season.

Cover photo: Christian Petersen/ MATT WINKELMEYER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

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