From the time he was drafted with the No. 13 overall pick in 2015 to becoming a perennial NBA superstar, Devin Booker has been the face of the Phoenix Suns and made his mark ever since he arrived in the Valley.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, his name was stamped into the Suns’ history books once again.
Just 23 seconds into the game, Booker scored the 15,000th point of his NBA career and joined legend Walter Davis as the only other player in franchise history to do so. Spending 11 years in Phoenix from 1977-88, Davis was able to notch 15,666 as a Sun.
This is yet another milestone that Booker has achieved, and his impact hasn’t gone unnoticed. The Kentucky product is the franchise leader in 3-point field goals (1,291) and 3-point attempts (3,618), is a four-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA selection and was in the MVP race during 2021-22.
To begin this year, Booker helped the Suns go 8-1 before Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal both went down with injuries. Despite Booker putting in his best effort to carry the team, Phoenix was 0-5 before Durant and Beal returned.
The Michigan native is averaging 24.7 points, 6.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game, providing significant offensive production for head coach Mike Budenholzer’s squad this season.
Booker is in his 10th season in Phoenix, and has helped the Suns go from finishing near or at the bottom of the NBA standings to being a championship-caliber team. During his first four years (2015-19) in the league, Phoenix had less than 25 wins a season and struggled immensely in the Pacific Division. After a vastly improved 34-39 year in 2019-20, however, the Suns have made the playoffs ever since, including an appearance in the 2021 NBA Finals.
It has been a rollercoaster of a ride for Booker in the NBA with how the team has performed, and injuries impacting his personal ability to be on the floor. He hasn’t been able to play a full 82-game season in the league but is on track to do so this year, playing in all 19 games so far.
While Durant has been a game-changer for the Suns recently, Booker’s longstanding impact on the team and community will forever be remembered around Arizona. Embracing what it means to stay loyal to one franchise and city through the good times and bad, Booker will go down as one of the best Suns to ever put on the jersey.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Mercury, Suns and ASU Athletics for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
