76ers' Josh Richardson Sends a Shoutout to Knicks' Wayne Ellington

On Saturday night, the Philadelphia 76ers arrived at Madison Square Garden for the second time this season to take on the New York Knicks. While the matchup was dreadful for some, considering the Sixers hadn't won on the road since late December at that point. One of the Sixers' young stars was excited for a rematch with an idol of his.

76ers shooting guard, Josh Richardson, hasn't spoken much about New York Knicks veteran, Wayne Ellington, up until this point in the year. Following the Sixers' low-scoring victory over New York, Richardson spent an extra couple of minutes on the court.

That's when the young guard met with somebody he looked up to in Wayne Ellington. As athletes typically do, Richardson and Ellington swapped jerseys and posed for the cameras. After the game, when Richardson finally got the chance, he decided to post the picture up to social media to show his appreciation for the 11-year veteran.

In his post, Richardson discusses how surreal it is to have Ellington as a mentor nowadays. Since Richardson grew up idolizing the former North Carolina Tar Heels standout, he remains excited just knowing that he now has a connection with the player he used to watch all the time as a fan.

Eventually, Ellington responded. "[It] means everything coming from you Rich kid!" Ellington wrote via Twitter. "Brothers for life. [The] best is yet to come. Love Bro." Ellington and Richardson may no longer be teammates with the Miami Heat, but it's clear they still have a strong bond, despite playing on rival teams.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_