August 23rd is always a special day across the NBA, especially since Kobe Bryant passed away. In celebration of his birthday, Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony, who played against the Black Mamba for many years in the Association, paid tribute to his good friend as he turned 43 on Monday.

As you can see, that photo was from Melo's early days with the Denver Nuggets. Kobe's legacy lives on every single day among countless players across the league and Anthony is no exception, having played alongside the Hall of Famer with Team USA. The Lakers organization also honored Bryant:

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I'm sure Kobe would be pleased to see Melo now ring-chasing with his former team alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. The Lakers are looking scary ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, but there are lots of doubters on how the chemistry will be on their new-look roster.

This is now the second birthday for Kobe since he tragically passed away last January in a helicopter crash. LeBron even said that the Lakers' 2020 title was for the legend and I'm sure he was looking down on LA very proud.

Carmelo meanwhile will be looking to capture his first championship in 2022 after an impressive career to this point. That's exactly why he came to the Lakers in the first place.