Lakers' Ellington dedicating season to deceased father

Wayne Ellington returned to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday after an absence of nearly two weeks following the death of his father, Wayne Ellington Sr.

Ellington Jr. found out Ellington Sr. had been murdered in Philadelphia on Nov. 9 following the Lakers' victory over the Charlotte Hornets. "Not even 15 minutes after that (game) was the lowest of all lows that I’ve ever been at in my life," Ellington told reporters. 

The team welcomed Ellington back Friday, and he eased his way back into things with 12 minutes of action.

Different people deal with such tragedies in different ways. In Ellington's case, he's putting his energy toward basketball, dedicating his 2014-15 season to his father.

"He was so ecstatic when I signed with the Lakers before camp," Ellington said. "He was telling me how proud he is of me. I'm leaving it all out there every single day, every time I step out on the floor."

Ellington credited both head coach Byron Scott and superstar Kobe Bryant for helping him through a tough time and making his return to the team a smooth one.