It’s normal to find retired legends mentoring active players, but what’s quite a rarity is when the two have different skill sets altogether.

Peja Stojakovic is one of the best shooters that the NBA has seen. He was among the big pieces in the Sacramento Kings’ glory days a decade-and-a-half ago. Currently, he is imparting some valuable knowledge to an active Kings youngster in Willie Cauley-Stein.

The two talked about their offseason work in an article by CSN Bay Area’s James Ham. According to the incoming sophomore:

“Peja’s kind of mentoring me right now. Especially in the summer time, I did a lot of work. Our goal everyday was to make 700 shots. So by the end of the week, we were making thousands of shots.”

“You can tell, my shooting, I’m way more comfortable with it. It was kind of building from there.”

For his part, Stojakovic likes what he is seeing from his student.

“He’s eager to learn, he’s also anxious to get there, which is normal, he’s young. I kept telling him, ‘It’s a process. It’s days, weeks, months, years of hard work. Put it in and it will pay off.’”

“Willie is one of those players that come very rare(ly). He can play multiple positions, especially on the defensive end. He can guard 3’s, he can guard, 4’s and he can guard 5’s. He can play also the 4 and 5 on the offensive end. Very skilled. His athletic ability and size are just amazing. Also, great approach to the game, willing to learn.”

The pairing comes as a surprise as Cauley-Stein is a big man in the mold of a Tyson Chandler. But if what Cauley-Stein claims is accurate, then things will get really interesting in Sacramento.