Trail Blazers' Anthony (personal) to sit out vs. Lakers

Portland Trail Blazers power forward Carmelo Anthony will not play in Friday's road game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. While the team listed Anthony's expected absence as "personal", Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic shed a bit more light on the matter.

Carmelo Anthony will not play Friday night against the Lakers, "because of his continued grieving and emotions over the loss of Kobe Bryant on Sunday,'" Charania reported in a video posted to the Stadium account on Twitter. Anthony, 35, reportedly was close friends with Bryant, who died Sunday along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif.

Emotions are expected to be raw on Friday for the Lakers, who haven't played since sustaining a 108-91 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday. Los Angeles was scheduled to face the L.A. Clippers on Tuesday, but the NBA granted the Lakers' request to postpone the game as the club grieved.