This Father's Day has been a little different for NBA free agent guard Isaiah Thomas.

The former Washington Wizards point guard tweeted on Sunday that he used to text Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant every Father's Day, with the late NBA icon being quick to respond.

The holiday is undoubtedly a bittersweet one for the Bryant family.

Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, died in a helicopter crash in January. The tragedy sent shock waves throughout the NBA community and the world.

Isaiah Thomas himself knows something about tragedy. The 31-year-old was preparing for the Boston Celtics' opening round playoff series against the Chicago Bulls in April of 2017 when he learned his sister, Chyna, died in a car crash.

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Bryant was a pseudo father figure of sorts for a plethora of modern NBA stars.

Wile a number of veteran players still speak fondly of Michael Jordan, the younger generation of players in the league emulated Kobe when they were growing up.

Thomas has spoken about Bryant's influential role in his own career several times. Kobe has always been a source of inspiration and motivation, and he even challenged Thomas to make first-team All-NBA after the Celtics traded IT to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the summer of 2017.

Kobe's dedication to honing his craft has stuck with Thomas. Despite dealing with injuries and a number of other setbacks, Thomas has continued to find his way in the NBA.

The two-time All-Star finds himself unemployed after being traded to and subsequently waived by the Los Angeles Clippers, but he remains committed to rejoining the league.