Taylor Swift's career is going from strength to strength, with her latest achievement - 16 sold-out shows at the Staples Center in LA - celebrated live on stage by basketball star Kobe Bryant.

Taylor Swift at the GrammysTickets for Taylor's concerts have sold Swiftly (sorry)

The five-time NBA champ joined Swift on Friday (21 August) for the first of her five-night stop at the arena, and presented the surprised singer with a banner marking her record-setting feat, reports Entertainment Weekly.

The Los Angeles Lakers star went down a treat with the celebrity-packed audience, with Swift later writing on Instagram about his guest appearance at the show, which is part of her '1989' tour.

She also shared a picture of the banner:

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

A photo posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on

Kobe wasn't Taylor's only guest for the evening - she was also joined by OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder in a rendition of his band's hit single 'Counting Stars'.

The singer took to Twitter to thank her star guests for the evening, saying it had been a "beautiful night in Los Angeles."

Surprise appearances are becoming something of a tradition at Taylor Swift concerts. Other guests during her '1989' world tour have included Ed Sheeran, Nick Jonas, Lorde and Fifth Harmony. She has also performed 'Want to Want Me' with Jason Derulo and 'Fight Song' with Rachel Platten, who's one to watch for 2015 following her success with the hit single.

More: Oxford Union makes 'Shake It Off' mash-up video