Carmelo Anthony will not be in the building with the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night when the Lakers honor Kobe Bryant in the team’s first game since his tragic death. Anthony, who had a close relationship with Bryant, wrote a lengthy tribute earlier this week on Instagram, sharing that Bryant had told him he planned on attending Friday’s game at Staples Center. “I hate when I have so much to say but I can’t put any of it into words. I’m screaming inside but I can’t be heard,” Anthony wrote on Tuesday. The Lakers were scheduled to play Tuesday against the Clippers, but that game was postponed.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 31, 2020 19:52 UTC