How does Duane Washington Jr. have a special connection with Kobe Bryant? All you need to know

Over the summer, Duane Washington Jr. was given an opportunity by the Phoenix Suns to pursue his NBA dream by signing him on a two-way deal. Little did anyone know that Washington Jr. had a very interesting relationship with the late Kobe Bryant.

The Los Angeles Lakers legend tragically passed away on January 26, 2020 in a horrific helicopter crash that also took the life of Bryant's second daughter, Gigi. A year after the incident, Washington Jr. shared his sentiments towards the legendary basketball player. (via NickiSwift.com)

Washington Jr. is the nephew of Bryant's former teammate and five-time champion, Derek Fisher. The former Ohio State guard relayed in a video about his short time with the Black Mamba.

"He had his arm around me and he just told me how big I got. I was like, 'Yeah I know, I'm getting bigger.'" Washington Jr. said as he reminisced his memories of Bryant. "I didn't have too much time with him - but the time I had was not even about basketball, it was family time. It was playing 'Sorry' or the game of 'Life'at my uncle's house."

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"I never got to talked basketball with him. One day we're going to be able to, but our time here together we weren't able to. I think that just shows that he was more than just a basketball player. And he had such an impact on a lot of different people in this world," he added.

Bryant was known to be a loving family man, and Duane Washington Jr. witnessed that first hand.

Duane Washington Jr.'s journey to NBA hasn't been easy

Growing up, Duane Washington Jr. had early experience of what it's like to be a professional basketball player.

His father had a brief 19-game NBA career back in the late 1980s. He later transitioned to playing international basketball. While playing for the Skyliners Frankfurt, a basketball club in Frankfurt, Germany, Washington Jr. was born.

Duane Washington Jr. played for Ohio State when he was in college. In his sophomore year, he was suspended along with his teammate Luther Muhammad for 'failure to meet program standards'.

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The 6-foot-3 guard declared for the 2021 NBA Draft but went undrafted. Fortunately for Washington Jr., the Indiana Pacers signed him on a two-way contract. In his rookie season, he alternated between the Pacers and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers' G-League affiliate.

During the 2022 offseason, he received another two-way contract, this time from the Phoenix Suns. So far, Washington has played only six games for the Suns.