Devin Booker had a special surprise for the Alabama Crimson Tide and Purdue Boilermakers ahead of their Final Four games Saturday at State Farm Stadium.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Booker gifted both teams his Nike Book 1 ‘Haven’ sneakers, the newest colorway of the first edition of Booker’s signature shoe. The colorway releases to the public tomorrow.
Appreciate you stopping by @DevinBook! Appreciate the kicks!
🙌 @nikebasketball pic.twitter.com/ZxdHmakGYB
— Purdue Men's Basketball (@BoilerBall) April 5, 2024
“I wasn’t going to leave y’all empty handed,” Booker exclaimed with a smile on his face to Alabama.
(Video via Alabama Men’s Basketball)
𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰’𝒎 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 📕 pic.twitter.com/uURVJdDANE
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) April 5, 2024
Booker, who made it to made it to the 2015 Final Four in his lone season at Kentucky, offered some words of advice for the Alabama players.
“Understand that y’all going to have to do it together,” Booker said. “Communication is key in these big games. Just get to it early and often. There’s no reason to wait.”
Plenty of Nike-sponsored schools have been wearing Booker’s signature shoes throughout the tournament.
In the Book 1 @DevinBook
Keshad Johnson on his head (@MarchMadnessMBB)
— Trevor Booth (@TrevorMBooth) March 23, 2024
With the Suns in the midst of a four-game homestand spanning even longer than the Final Four and its events, Phoenix is the mecca of basketball this weekend. Booker, who was drafted by Phoenix in 2015, has seen firsthand the impact of basketball on the community.
“I love it. Ever since I have been here, the city has been on the rise,” Booker said after dropping 40 points in the Suns’ 122-101 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday.
“People told me my first day here, Phoenix was one of the most growing cities in the United States. Once COVID hit, everybody moved out here. We have All-Star in a few years, the Super Bowl just a couple years ago … It is a great place to host, great weather, everything you need.”
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
