LeBron James arrives at Staples Center a few hours before the Lakers play their first game since Kobe Bryant's death. (0:31)

LeBron arrives before Lakers' first game since death of Kobe (0:31)

LeBron James revealed his new tattoo in memory of Kobe Bryant on Instagram on Friday.

The tattoo is mostly black, with the main image that of a snake -- a Black Mamba -- entwined around the number 24 and the number 8, with a black rose on the upper left and lower right. Underneath, the caption in script is "Mamba 4 Life."

Bryant, who wore both numbers during his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, was known as the Black Mamba.

The photo on James' Instagram that precedes the photo of the tattoo is from a Team USA practice. It is a black and white photo of James leaning into Bryant.

On Wednesday, tattoo artist Vanessa Aurelia shared video on Instagram showing her work on James' left thigh and teammate Anthony Davis' right thigh.

The Lakers are hosting the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday at Staples Center and will celebrate and grieve Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the seven others who were killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday in Calabasas, California.

Friday marked the Lakers' first game at Staples since Bryant's death, and James made his first public remarks on the death of the Lakers legend, taking center court in a pregame ceremony and reading the names of the crash victims, ending with Bryant.