LOS ANGELES, CA – The LA Dodgers, in collaboration with Sky Elements Drone Shows, honored the legacy of Kobe Bryant with a drone light show. The Kobe drone show, made up of 824 drones, was a massive display recreating memorable moments of Kobe’s career. The Dodgers’ Lakers Night began with Kobe’s daughter Natalia throwing the first ceremonial pitch to Mookie Betts. Black and yellow Lakers jerseys flooded the stadium, donning the numbers 8 and 24, the two numbers Kobe wore while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. After the game, fans took to the field to get an excellent view of the drone show.
824 drones took to the skies to recreate Kobe’s many career highlights.
This season, the Kobe drone display was part of the Dodgers’ Friday Night Light Shows at Dodger Stadium. Although Friday night fireworks have been a longstanding tradition, the team added drone shows to the theme-night rotation to try something new. Originally slated for September 22nd, this light show was unexpectedly moved to September 1st with about three days’ notice. The Sky Elements team quickly sprang into action to create what would be the first-ever Kobe Bryant drone light show. “It was a last-minute decision to put this Kobe show together. [We’re] appreciative of all the efforts to make it happen in a short window, so nothing but praise for the Sky Elements team,” said Greg Taylor of the LA Dodgers. The Kobe drone show, set to a beautiful narration, showcased highlights from Kobe’s career in a way like never before.
Dodgers Fans quietly watched on as the Kobe drone show took shape.
Eight hundred twenty-four drones rose above the parking lot behind Centerfield to morph into the Kobe Bryant logo. The logo, representative of a sword in a sheath, was created based on his raw talent, with the sheath representing the effort put into developing it. The first “wow moment” that impacted the audience was Kobe dunking, with significantly more airtime than usual! Drones transition into Kobe’s iconic 1997 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest victory, raising the trophy triumphantly overhead. The drone colors twinkle purple and gold as they make their way to their next formation.
With most drone shows Sky Elements produces, the show still invokes an audible reaction from the audience. The evening’s emotions overcame the audience during the Kobe drone show, which resulted in a hushed silence. The show continued with monumental moments from Kobe’s life, like his 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors. Kobe launches his final free throw and scores, which, at the time, was the second-highest total amount of points scored by a player in an NBA game. Moving on to Kobe’s fifth NBA Finals victory in 2010, he celebrated with arms wide, engaging the ecstatic audience. The five rings appeared over Dodger Stadium with magnificent detail.
Fans donned Black Mamba-inspired Dodgers jerseys, flooding the stadium in black and gold.
Kobe and his family have been friends with The Dodgers for decades. His Game 4 appearance at the 2018 World Series inspired the subsequent drone formation, introducing the lineup with him in a Dodgers #8 jersey. The drones then shifted to create the Black Mamba-inspired Dodgers Jersey fans received on the way in. Kobe’s phrase “MAMBA OUT” appeared in Lakers purple and gold to wrap up the show. Lakers Night at Dodger Stadium was a bit more special this year. There wasn’t a dry eye on the field as the drones took their places back in the grid.
The Kobe drone show made history for fans of the MLB, Dodgers, and, most importantly, Kobe. The fantastic presentation fully displayed this top Los Angeles, California, drone show provider’s ability. After five successful shows with the LA Dodgers, Sky Elements was proud to go out with this drone display. Kobe’s influence transcends sports, and Sky Elements was honored to have been a part of this beautiful ceremony. Best wishes to the Bryant family from everyone here at Sky Elements.
