Kelly's courtside seat to Kobe Bryant's farewell tour

Ryan Kelly has been around plenty of basketball royalty during his career. He developed into a standout forward under the tutelage of head coach Mike Krzyzewski at Duke, played alongside Kyrie Irving and now suits up alongside Kobe Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sunday's All-Star Game will be the 18th of Bryant's storied NBA career. Although the Lakers have struggled mightily this season and sport an 11-44 record at the All-Star Break, Bryant has made the most of his farewell tour around the league, averaging a team-high 16.9 points in 29.3 minutes per game.

He's also left quite the impression on the team's young core, including Kelly.

"He can’t spend as much time on the court physically working out, but when he’s not doing that, he’s studying film, he’s still taking care of his body and doing whatever’s necessary to be the best he can be. That was always something I took from Coach K, his film study, his understanding of the opponent was at such a high level that he could call out plays on a given night," Kelly said. "Kobe’s like that. He’ll be on the bench and he’ll say ‘Watch this: somebody’s going to run around a screen, curl, blah blah blah’ and he’ll know the play as it happens. That’s just putting in the time."

Kelly has appeared in 19 of the Lakers' 55 contests so far this season, averaging 5.3 points per game. For a team with developing first-round draft picks in D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle, Los Angeles is a few years away—or at least a few big free-agent acquisitions away—from contending again in the loaded Western Conference. The record is not where Kelly's squad wants it to be, but even general manager Mitch Kupchak acknowledged that this season is about celebrating Bryant's last in purple and gold.

Kelly's had a front-row view to the spectacle. 

"Everywhere we go, the sport has been unbelievable. People have come from all over to watch Kobe’s last season. It’s miraculous how he’s figured out a way, at his age, to do some amazing things on the court despite all the noise around what’s going on," Kelly said. "Obviously the organization’s going through a transition as he works his way out and a lot of new guys are coming in, but he still finds a way to go out and compete every single night."