WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Shortly after the final buzzer Friday night, Kevin Porter Jr. and Isaiah Thomas met on the court for a jersey swap. Two Seattle hoopers reuniting.

The region and a shared love of basketball first brought Porter and Thomas together years ago. That bond has continued to thicken ever since, extending far beyond the court.

“I’ve known him since a little bit before high school,” Thomas told cleveland.com following the Cavaliers’ 113-100 win. “Really good kid, really talented basketball player. He’s always been the same guy. Someone I call a little brother, someone I try to show the ropes to. In that area, everybody gravitates to the next one. If they see potential, if we see potential with an up-and-coming young basketball player or athlete in general, everyone seems to gravitate toward them.

“He’s a young kid from the inner city so he’s been through a lot. Not saying that’s an excuse, but people grow up a little different. He has the right people around him. He has me, Jamal Crawford and all the guys who made it from the Seattle area. We’re pulling for him and he knows if he needs helps in any area on the court or off the court he knows who to turn to."

When Porter was four years old, his father was shot and killed while trying to help someone being attacked. As a result, Porter was raised by his mother, Ayanna, who became his role model.

He started playing sports -- his way of paying homage to his late father while also trying to cope with such a heavy loss. He wears the “Jr.” marking on his jersey as a badge of honor. He picked the No. 4 to match his age when he lost his father. Overcoming a rough childhood, he pushed to attend the same school as his late father, famed Rainer Beach High School -- a program with nine basketball state championships and an abundance of notable alumni scattered throughout the NBA.

Doug Christie. Ryan Anderson. Nate Robinson. Terrence Williams. Crawford, who mentored Porter at the request of his mother, hoping to show Porter a better way and help the youngster overcome some demons. High school teammate Dejounte Murray. The list goes on.

Despite being suspended a handful of times, even thinking about transferring at one point, Porter became the latest Rainer Beach basketball success story. He’s the latest to join the Seattle NBA fraternity.

Porter keeps his hometown close to his game in the NBA. NBAE via Getty Images

Those roots run deep. Porter even had the city name inscribed on the back of his PUMA shoes for his first NBA meeting against Thomas on Friday night.

With a few blow-bys, difficult finishes in traffic and some jumpers, Porter tallied a career-high 13 points on 5-of-11 from the field in Cleveland’s win. He displayed the same flair and confidence that led to him showing up at the Seattle gym where NBA guys worked out, trying to prove he belonged, looking to leave a lasting impression.

“I mean, he’s been playing with us since eighth or ninth grade -- playing with the pros,” Thomas said. “We expected this. I think Cleveland got a steal. I think personally -- and not just because I know him -- he was one of the most talented players in the NBA Draft last year. He just, for whatever reason, fell to 30th. I think he can be a star.”

The best explanation for Porter’s draft stock dropping: A poor freshman season at USC that included a thigh injury, a brief suspension for conduct issues and questions about his troublesome background.

Porter has already missed one game early in his NBA career as a result of losing his cool and bumping into a referee while jogging to the Cavaliers’ bench over the weekend. Friday was his return from a one-game absence.

“Just be smart," Thomas said when asked about the recent incident. “The older he gets, the more mature he will get and those type of situations are not going to be there. We always knew he was talented."

It’s now the third time in the last year-plus Thomas has raved about the Cavaliers’ final piece of an exciting three-player draft class. Back in July 2018, Thomas watched the teenager from the front row at the Drew League. He picked up his phone and fired off a tweet, proclaiming Porter the “best player in college basketball” and predicting future stardom.

Kevin Porter Jr! Best player in college basketball. Might/might not show in college due to how the game is played but once he gets to the league he will be a star! — Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) July 23, 2018

The next time came a few months back at Thomas’ Zeke End tournament in Seattle. It was the first time Porter attended, wanting to show love for Thomas and give back to his hometown.

Playing on Team IT -- alongside Thomas, who runs and organizes the event, and Suns swingman Kelly Oubre Jr. -- Porter dazzled with highlight-reel dunks, passes and long-range bombs.

Even though Thomas and Porter chat every few weeks, actually catching up in the days leading up to Friday’s game, the Cavs-Wizards national TV matchup was the first time Thomas had seen Porter play in person since he made it to the NBA. The performance looked familiar.

“He just has real basketball game. He has hoop game,” Thomas said. “Can put him out there with anybody and he’s going to be able to figure it out and he’s going to be able to play. A lot of guys can’t do that. He can play at the park, he can play at the YMCA, he can play with the best players in the world -- like he showed tonight. I don’t think you call any plays for him. You let him go, be aggressive and figure it out. He’s always been like that.”

After embracing on the court late Friday night and exchanging No. 4 threads, Thomas left Porter with a message he hopes the evolving teenager can carry through his rookie season.

“I just told him, ‘Stay level-headed. Be even-keeled. Don’t get too high, don’t get too low. And continue to work.’ He always wants to get better. He’s a guy that continues to work on his game all the time so I know he won’t have a problem with that,” Thomas said. "He’s going to have an amazing career.”

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