'Stranger Things' Cast Reveals Homage to Late Kobe Bryant in Season 5 Set Tour Video

The Stranger Things cast is giving fans an inside glimpse at the set of Season 5—including one special detail honoring the late Kobe Bryant, who tragically passed away in a 2020 helicopter crash.

In a new YouTube video uploaded on Thursday, Sept. 19 by the official account of the Netflix series, two fans of the show were taken behind the scenes to check out some pretty cool details, including props, filming secrets, costumes, and of course, the set for the upcoming season. They even got to meet a few of the stars, who served as tour guides along the way.

During one part of the tour where the two fans, Amy and Elicia, were given insight on some of the costumes and what goes into bringing the characters to life, actor Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas) showed off his Hawkins basketball uniform, which featured his jersey number: 8.

"I was paying homage to Kobe [Bryant], because he passed away during our time filming," he said. "I like going through the fittings because it's very detailed according to our characters' personality and what we're into. Season 1, they asked us, 'What is our character's favorite color? What do you think he likes to eat?' It's a whole thing. We created playlists for our characters as well."

Fans in the comment section of the upload showed major excitement, with one writing, "They nailed their outfits! Mike, Lucas, and Dustin feel like remixed versions of their season 1 counterparts!! 🥹"

"Omg i didn't know the 8 number on Lucas's jersey was an hommage [sic] to Kobe. It's so cool and wholesome how much detail the duffers put in their show," another marveled.

Season 5 of the cult series—which, in addition to McLaughlin, stars Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Sadie Sink (Max), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna), Noah Schnapp (Will), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), and more—is expected to premiere sometime in 2025.

Next: Millie Bobby Brown Shares Her Unfiltered Thoughts on ‘Stranger Things’ Ending