Friday night started off with an emotional tribute to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. Numerous homages were made from his jerseys to an introduction of him in every starting position. His name was chanted every thirty seconds, as well as his daughter Gianna's nickname “GiGi.” The pre-game ceremony eventually concluded with a heartfelt speech from his close friend and fellow superstar player LeBron James.

Other players on the court, however, were not without their connections to the Black Mamba and the Purple and Gold franchise. During pre-game, Lakers executive Rob Pelinka and Portland Trailblazers forward Trevor Ariza shared a moment.

The former Lakers player was only in Los Angeles for a year and a half, but he was known to be a vital piece in the 2009 team, especially in the defensive end. The said team ended up with a championship and gave the franchise their 15th title, with Ariza playing his part by shooting an impressive 50% from three-point range in the playoffs. Most notably, he had played with Kobe Bryant himself, who had then won his fourth ring.

On the other hand, Pelinka, currently the Lakers general manager, was also seen courtside with his young daughter. He was famously Kobe Bryant's agent before joining the franchise, and was a good friend to the famed shooting guard off court.

Everyone inside the arena was indeed full of emotion, and pre-game did not signal the end of the touching tribute. Aside from “8,” “24,” and “KB” plastered on court, the crowd was also unusually quiet even as the tipoff commenced. Later on, 8-second and 24-second violations were observed by both the Blazers and Lakers, similar to other teams' salute to the Black Mamba's retired jerseys.