Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker showed off a unique ability to adapt to a different role in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Booker, one of the best scorers in the NBA, was more of a glue guy on Team USA’s run to their fourth-straight gold medal in his first appearance on the team in 2021.
During the Tokyo Olympics, Booker averaged 9.3 points, across six contests (five starts) to go along with 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1,5 steals in 20.7 minutes per game. Of the five players who played the most minutes for Team USA, Booker averaged the fewest points, but was second on the team in steals.
On this year’s Team USA squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Booker once again finds himself among the best of the best the league has to offer.
“You trust everybody,” Booker said. “You know what everybody’s done, what everybody’s capable of doing. I’m down to do whatever it takes, understanding that you’re not scoring 30 points a game, and you might not touch the ball at all, might not get in the game. But just being okay with that being fine and understanding that you’re representing something bigger than you, representing the whole country.”
The Stars Align in the City of Light.
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— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) April 17, 2024
Team USA head coach Steve Kerr, who was an assistant on the 2021 team, saw the value that Booker could bring in International Basketball Federation (FIBA) play in Tokyo.
“(Booker) is the perfect example of a guy, who, in an NBA game, he is going to get 20 shots every night, (and) in ’21 in Tokyo, he was more of a defender, ball-mover, but did a great job and was one of our key players,” Kerr said. “That’s why he’s back here. We knew how much we needed him. And I’m so impressed with Book’s ability to understand that, recognize the role change, but still hit the big shot and be looking forward to a big moment. Book’s a perfect FIBA guy.”
(via Suns)
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 9, 2024
Booker will look to be an example to other players about taking on a role change.
“(We have to) make sure we’re all on the same page,” Booker said. “Understand that it is a different game than we usually play. We just have to get involved in other ways. The ball is not going to be in your hand the whole game, might have to get offensive rebound, defend better than you usually do, make the extra pass that you usually don’t make.”
Team USA’s first game will be an exhibition on Wednesday in Vegas against Canada. They play four more exhibition games before their first matchup of the Olympics on July 28 against Serbia.
Best of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant at Day 2 of USA Basketball training camp
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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
