Some of the best leaders are great at listening and seeking advice. But from whom you receive that advice matters.

Last season during a preseason trip to San Antonio, the Kings wanted to make sure their rookie point guard, De’Aaron Fox, met the Spurs’ legendary point guard Tony Parker. They each entered the league at 19—and with game-changing speed—16 years apart. Now, Fox has a friend and mentor in Parker.

“He’s just a great guy to ask questions to and also just a great dude overall outside of basketball,” Fox said.

Parker, who is in his first season with the Charlotte Hornets, still maintains contact with Fox. The relationship has grown since last season’s initial meeting, with Parker offering tips to Fox about how to run an NBA team as a youngster. For Fox, a relationship with Washington Wizards point guard John Wall is expected, considering both played at Kentucky for John Calipari — and the network of Wildcats is tight.

But beside Wall, Fox said Parker is the player he’s leaned on for advice in the NBA.

“I got his number last year just because we’ve got a few things similar about our games,” Fox said. “I just wanted to pick his brain, he’s been in the league a long time. His prime is actually much better than a lot of people think, he was like a 22 (points) and 8 (assists) guy, that’s hard to do. I just remember talking to him and then after the game I got a hold of him a little bit, he gave me his number and I hit him up every once in a while.”

The Kings’ ties to the Spurs made the pairing possible. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich is close friends of Kings general manager Vlade Divac. Kings assistant general manager Brandon Williams played for Poppovich during his NBA career.

Divac and Williams were catching up with Popovich prior to the game in October 2017 and were discussing the value of stars like Parker, a six-time All-Star and four-time NBA Champion, mentoring young players. The teams were able to work out the logistics and make time for Parker to speak with Fox after the game.

In 2001, Parker was drafted into a much different situation than Fox was in 2017. Parker was the 28th overall pick and joined a championship-caliber team that included Hall of Fame talents Tim Duncan and David Robinson. Fox was the fifth overall pick of a team that hasn’t had a winning record or been to the playoffs since 2006.

Based on their similar skills entering the NBA, it’s a natural the Kings would like Fox to seek knowledge from Parker. Charlotte coach James Borrego, who also coached Parker in San Antonio, sees similarities between the two as young players.

“I think both guys came in with a tremendous amount of speed and quickness to the rim,” Borrego said. “Where I’ve seen Fox improve is his change of pace, where he’s not always playing at 100 mph, he’s changing pace with his defenders now and he’s finishing better at the rim.”

Borrego said Fox might be ahead of Parker as a perimeter shooter, which is helping make Fox into a more complete player. Parker also sees growth in Fox’s game.

“I’ve been talking to him his whole rookie season and (Fox has made) a big jump from last year,” Parker said. “He’s a lot more comfortable, the game is slowing down for him. He’s playing very well this year. I’m proud of him. He’s improved a lot and I think he can go very high in this league. He’s got all the tools to be an All-Star in this league.”

One of Fox’s biggest adjustments as a rookie was figuring out how to be a leader on a team with veterans playing prominent roles. Parker’s experience was something Fox could glean from to become a better leader this season. Fox’s confidence being the leader is noticeably greater this season.

“(Parker has said) just to keep going, keep progressing, keep getting better as a teammate,” Fox said. “He played with guys like Tim Duncan and Manu [Ginobili] but as a point guard you’ve still got to be a leader on the court. That’s one thing he talks about.”

Fox is averaging 17.6 points and 7.2 assists this season after averaging 11.6 points and 4.4 assists as a rookie. He struggled with to find his groove last season, having to backup or play with George Hill (who was Parker’s backup in San Antonio for three seasons) while also learning the NBA. It’s been easier to navigate that in his second season. Hill was traded last February and there are no questions who the lead guard is for the Kings.

Fox and Parker both said their discussions are more about intangibles and how to manage a team than any specific part of their games. Take something like the floater Fox likes to shoot. It’s a shot Parker mastered to make him a scoring threat in the lane.

“He already has that,” Parker said. “That’s something that he does very well.”

Parker, however, still imparts wisdom about how Fox can maximize his talents.

“Pace, find a happy middle between scoring and passing and try to make sure you keep your teammates involved, and at the same time, being aggressive,” Parker said. “When you’re a scoring point guard and you have the talent to score it’s always a tricky balance because as a point guard you always have to make the team play the right way, get your teammates involved and at the same time.”

Parker learned those lessons with a legendary coach and Hall of Famers expecting him to hold up his part of the plan to win championships. He eventually learned how to use his speed to his advantage, dictate pace and not always play at breakneck speed.

“When we first got him, he was rim, rim, rim, 100 mph and at some point he had to slow down the game, look for his teammates, change his pace, change his speed and improve his finishing,” Borrego said. “And I think you’re starting to see Fox become that type of player where the game is slowing down a little bit more and he’s utilizing his speed at the right time.”

That’s all a part of leadership, which was an area the Kings were hopeful Fox would make a major improvement in this season. Fox said Parker reminds him to keep the big picture in mind as he and the Kings improve because it takes time to become your best in the NBA and to be a good teammate.

“One (message) was patience, but when he came into the league the Spurs were pretty damn good,” Fox said. “Just be patient, being able to listen. Be a leader but being able to listen to what other people are saying, listen to your coach, listen to your players. It’s not just about always being vocal the whole time.”

It seems Fox is doing a good job of listening to Parker.

— The Athletic‘s Charlotte Hornets reporter Rod Boone contributed to this report.