Retired NBA star David West and Phoenix Suns swingman T.J. Warren have never played on the same team in the NBA, but not many people know that the two have a close relationship with each other, which is also why West’s retirement struck an emotional chord in Warren.

In an Instagram post, Warren summed up his admiration for West, who served as among his inspirations in his basketball career.

https://twitter.com/OakHoop/status/1035250281230028801

Warren was a product of West’s AAU Garner Road Basketball Club program before getting recruited by NC State in college. Apparently, West’s fingerprints are all over Warren’s path to the NBA.

“David has been a mentor to me since a very young age,” the then 20-year-old said. “Since I was 10 years old, just learning from him, from his game. It means a lot to me.”

T.J. Warren fulfilled his dream of making the NBA in 2014 when he was selected in the first round of that year’s draft by the Phoenix Suns.

So far in his NBA career, Warren has averaged 19.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, while knocking down 49.8 percent of his shots.

Warren is a native of Durham, North Carolina, and while David West is from Teaneck, New Jersey, he spent a big part of his high school years at Garner Magnet in Garner, North Carolina.