LeBron after emotional night honoring Kobe: 'Hug the shit out of your family'

As the new face of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James led his teammates through a somber night Friday as the purple and gold played their first game since the death of Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers lost to the Portland Trail Blazers, but afterward, James wanted to highlight what is important in life.

"At the end of the day we all punch our clocks," he told reporters postgame. "Just make sure you hug the shit out of your family. If you got kids, tell your kids you love them. Try to make it to as much as you can."

James cited attending the Jan. 20 high school game his son Bronny played in the Boston area - the afternoon before the Lakers were hammered by the Celtics, 139-107.

"Don't feel bad if you happen to go to one of your loved ones' ... events or something like that, and sacrifice your job. Because I didn't feel bad in Boston when I went to go see my son two hours away in Springfield and we had a game that night. We got our ass kicked. But I didn't feel bad at all."

The Lakers also paid tribute to the eight others killed in Sunday's Los Angeles County helicopter crash - including Bryant's daughter Gianna, two of her basketball teammates, and parents.