Kobe Bryant gave Devin Booker signed shoes and told him to 'be legendary'

In 1996, a precocious shooting guard was the youngest player in his draft class and fell to the 13th overall selection. In 2015, it happened again. While Kobe Bryant went on to become one of the best players in the history of the NBA over his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, the jury is still out on Devin Booker.

Still, the 19-year old has shown a ton of promise in his debut campaign with the Phoenix Suns, averaging 18.5 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.7 rebounds on 39.3 percent shooting since the All-Star break while still adjusting to the size and speed of the NBA game. Bryant may see a little of himself in Booker, and after the Lakers' loss to the Suns on Wednesday night he presented Booker with a signed pair of shoes, telling the young guard to "Be Legendary," as captured by the Suns' public relations Twitter account:

"To Book, Be Legendary" - @kobebryant 's message on the signed shoes he gave to @DevinBook #SunsVsLakers pic.twitter.com/1Huakjtk6B

— Suns Basketball Comm (@SunsBballComm) March 24, 2016

As any 19-year old basketball player would be, Booker seemed excited about the gift:

Thank you, @kobebryant #BeLegendary https://t.co/ty1hzu9zn3

— Devin Booker (@DevinBook) March 24, 2016

If Booker follows Bryant's advice, maybe he can give a pair of his own signature shoes to the league's next promising young shooting guard in 20 years.

All stats per NBA.com. You can follow this author on Twitter at @hmfaigen.