MIAMI — Ryan Kelly will watch the Duke-University of Miami game tonight at American Airlines Arena for obvious reasons.

The Lakers rookie just graduated from Duke where he finished with a stellar four-year career as a stretch forward. So will Kobe Bryant, who played for Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. But former North Carolina standout Kendall Marshall? Yeah, he’s attending too.

“He said he’s wearing a Miami hat,” Kelly said, smiling. “I told him he can’t sit behind our bench.”

So didn’t Kelly try to convert Marshall to root for the other team down Tobacco Road?

“No, I don’t even bother,” Kelly said. “It’s a waste of energy.”

Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com