Devin Booker
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Devin Armani Booker (born October 30, 1996) is an American professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player for the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA). He is the son of former basketball player
Melvin Booker Melvin Jermaine Booker (born August 20, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. A , point guard, he played for the University of Missouri. Amateur career Booker was a standout high school player in Moss Point, Mississippi. ...
. After playing
college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for one season with the
Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...
, Booker was selected by the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
in the first round of the 2015 NBA draft with the 13th overall pick. On March 24, 2017, he became the youngest player to score over 60 points in a game, finishing with 70 against the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
. In March 2019, at 22 years old, Booker became the youngest player in NBA history with consecutive 50-point games. He is a three-time
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of al ...
and helped the Suns reach the
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...
in
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
. Booker also won a gold medal on the 2020 U.S. Olympic team in Tokyo.


Early life

Booker is the son of Veronica Gutiérrez, a
cosmetologist Cosmetology (from Greek , ''kosmētikos'', "beautifying"; and , ''-logia'') is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty include hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/pedicures, non-permanent hair removal such as ...
, and
Melvin Booker Melvin Jermaine Booker (born August 20, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. A , point guard, he played for the University of Missouri. Amateur career Booker was a standout high school player in Moss Point, Mississippi. ...
, who was named the 1994 Big Eight Player of the Year while a
point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...
at
Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
. His parents met while his father was playing basketball for the
Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...
's
Grand Rapids Hoops The Grand Rapids Hoops were a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their first season was in 1989 and their final season was in 2003. Professional basketball later returned to Grand ...
in Gutiérrez's hometown of
Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...
. Booker was born and raised in Grand Rapids, living with his mother, who is reportedly of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent while his
African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
father pursued a professional basketball career internationally. He visited his father regularly during the summer. At age 12 while visiting him in Milan, he played one-on-one with Danilo Gallinari. Booker was taught by his father that having basketball IQ was just as important as natural athleticism. During his time in middle school, Booker became friends with future fellow NBA players
D'Angelo Russell D'Angelo Danté Russell (born February 23, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected as a McDonald's All-American in 2014 and played college ba ...
and
Tyler Ulis Tyler Ulis (born January 5, 1996) is an American professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the Kentucky Wildcats of the SEC. He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. At Kentucky in 2015, he led his team in ass ...
.


High school career


Sophomore year

After playing for the freshman, junior varsity and varsity basketball teams during his freshman year at Grandville High School in Michigan, Booker moved to
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
to live with his father after the latter's retirement from professional basketball. He enrolled at
Moss Point High School Moss Point High School is a public high school in Moss Point, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Moss Point School District. History Moss Point High School was established in 1883 in a two-story schoolhouse. Tuition was required. Ther ...
, where his father was hired as an assistant coach, in August 2011. In his team's fifth game of the season—a 52–32 loss to
Gulfport High School Gulfport High School (GHS) is a public high school located in Gulfport, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Gulfport School District. In 2019, Gulfport High was given a B-rating from the Mississippi Statewide Accountability System. The ...
—Booker scored more points than the rest of his teammates combined (15). In December, he hit a
buzzer beater In basketball and other such timed sports, a buzzer beater is a shot that is taken before the game clock of a quarter, a half (if the half is the second one, then, a game), or an overtime period expires but does not go in the basket until after t ...
from just beyond
half court Half-court is a term used in basketball for the middle of the court. A half court shot taken from the half-court, referred to as a half-court shot, is a shot taken from beyond the 3-pointer line as defined by a semicircular line before the 2-pointe ...
to beat Harrison Central High School, improving Moss Point's record to 4–6 on the year. By early January, ''
Press-Register The ''Press-Register'' (known from 1997 to 2006 as the ''Mobile Register'') is a thrice-weekly newspaper serving the southwest Alabama counties of Mobile and Baldwin. The newspaper is a descendant of one founded in 1813, making the ''Press-Regi ...
'' sportswriter Creg Stephenson opined, "Sophomore guard Devin Booker has developed into one of the top players on the coast in his first season with the oss PointTigers' varsity, averaging 22.7 points per game." In the Laurel MLK Shootout, Booker scored 54 points against
Northeast Jones High School Northeast Jones High School (NEJ) is a State school#United States, public secondary school, high school located in Jones County, Mississippi, United States, near the city of Laurel, Mississippi, Laurel. Northeast Jones serves students in grades 7 t ...
, falling nine shy of
Litterial Green Litterial Maurice Green (born March 7, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who played at the point guard position. He was listed at 6'1" or 6'2"."Georgia". ''USA Today''. May 12, 1988. 10C. Biography Green played high s ...
's Moss Point record for most points in a game, set in 1988. He followed up that performance with 32 points, including a game-winning three-pointer, against Murrah High School and was named ESPNHS.com's Southeast Player of the Week. At that time, his father told reporters that Booker was drawing interest from
Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univers ...
, Ole Miss,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
,
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
, Georgetown,
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
and Missouri. Booker was limited to just 14 points, with no field goals made in the second half, in a 57–55 win over Gautier High School in the opening round of the Division 7-5A tournament. In the championship game against
Pascagoula High School The Pascagoula-Gautier School District is a public school system based in Pascagoula, Mississippi. It includes Pascagoula and most of Gautier. Schools Pascagoula ;High School (Grades 9–12) * Gautier High School *Pascagoula High School ;Mi ...
, Booker was held to single-digit scoring (8) for only the second time in the season as Moss Point lost 48–32, setting up an away game with defending state champion Wayne County High School in the first round of the South State playoffs. Wayne County focused their defense on Booker, holding him to a single, first-quarter free throw, en route to a 57–37 victory that ended Moss Point's season. For the year, Booker averaged 22.8 points per game and was named the South Mississippi Player of the Year by the ''
Sun Herald The ''Sun Herald'' is a U.S. newspaper based in Biloxi, Mississippi, that serves readers along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The paper's current executive editor and general manager is Blake Kaplan and its headquarters is in the city of Gulfport ...
'', becoming just the second sophomore to be awarded the honor. In the announcement, the paper reported that Booker held scholarship offers from Ole Miss, Alabama, Georgetown, Michigan and
South Alabama South Alabama is the various parts of southern Alabama. Although it is not a strictly defined geographic region, it generally includes all Alabama counties south of the Black Belt. In that view, ''South Alabama'' consists of just the two counties ...
. In the summer following his sophomore year, Booker played in the
Nike Elite Youth Basketball League The Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, also known as Nike EYBL, or simply EYBL, is a basketball circuit for teams of players aged 17 and under. The circuit was founded in 2010 and is composed of AAU travel teams. Both boys and girls play in the E ...
and participated in the Elite 100 Camp, the LeBron James King's Academy Camp, and the Kevin Durant Nike Skills Camp. These commitments caused him to miss the inaugural South Mississippi All-Star Basketball Showcase in May.


Junior year

With most of Moss Point's experienced players graduating, Booker switched to point guard for his junior year. In an early December game, Booker outscored the entire
Ocean Springs High School Ocean Springs High School is an IB-certified public high school in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. The school serves students in grades 9– 12 and is part of the Ocean Springs School District. In addition to Ocean Springs it serves Gulf Pa ...
team 40–39 through three quarters en route to a 48-point finish as Moss Point won 100–55. He followed up this performance with a 30-point outing, including 7 three-pointers, in a win over 54–37 win over Laurel High School in the second annual Melvin Booker Shootout, named in honor of his father. The following week, Booker left a game against Harrison Central High School in the third quarter with a sprained
MCL The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m3) ...
; he had scored just 9 points, but grabbed 7 rebounds. Booker's injury proved minor, and did not hamper him in Moss Point's next game, where he scored 26 points in a 52–48 loss to Davidson High School in the Jackie Laird Christmas Classic at
Biloxi High School Biloxi High School is the only public high school located in the city of Biloxi, Mississippi. It has approximately 1,650 students and 150 faculty. History The original Biloxi High School was built in 1912 on Howard Avenue. A “new” Biloxi Hi ...
. On the second day of the Classic, Booker scored a season-high 49 points in an 80–65 win over
Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School, colloquially known as BrewTech, is an American high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. ...
, a performance that added
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
to the list of schools recruiting him. In early January, Moss Point went 1–2 in the Poplar Bluff showdown in
Poplar Bluff, Missouri Poplar Bluff is a medium city in Butler County in Southeast Missouri, United States. It is the county seat of Butler County and is known as "The Gateway to the Ozarks" among other names. The population was 16,225 at the 2020 census. The Poplar B ...
, defeating
Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...
' Kirby High School but losing to
Maplewood Richmond Heights High School Maplewood Richmond Heights High School is a public high school in Maplewood, Missouri, United States. History Maplewood Richmond Heights School District was established in 1876 after St. Louis split from St. Louis County. The original high sc ...
and host Poplar Bluff High School. University of Missouri fans attended ''en masse'' to cheer for Booker, who averaged 30.2 points over Moss Point's three games, hoping to entice him to play for the Tigers. Booker scored a game-high 32 points in a 58–56 loss to Gulfport High School, the top-ranked team in Mississippi, in Moss Point's final game before divisional play, dropping the team's record to 6–11. Moss Point went 3–3 in Division 7-5A, finishing the divisional season with a 51–40 victory over Gautier High School. Booker, who struggled with his outside shot due to a wrap on his injured right wrist, hit all 17 of his free throws en route to a game-high 30 points in the win. Moss Point closed out the regular season with a 67–65 loss to Division 5-6A champion Hattiesburg High School, despite 43 points from Booker. The following week, Moss Point faced a rematch with Gautier in the first round of the Division 7-5A tournament with a spot in the state tournament on the line. Moss Point fell 54–51 in double overtime, ending the team's season at 12–16. Booker scored 35 points in the loss, including 17 free throws. For the year, he averaged 29.7 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game while carrying a 3.81
grade point average Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements for varying levels of achievements in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (usually A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a numbe ...
. He was named to the Division 7-5A All-Division team and was the division's MVP. In March, he was named the Mississippi
Gatorade Player of the Year The Gatorade Player of the Year awards are given annually to up and coming high school student-athletes in the United States. They are given for boys' baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine playe ...
for 2013, and in April, he became the second player ever to win the ''Sun Herald'' Player of the Year Award in consecutive seasons. By the end of Moss Point's season, Booker held scholarship offers from Duke,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
, Florida, Michigan,
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
, Missouri, and Mississippi State.
Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
ranked him a four-star prospect and the 30th best player overall in the class of 2014;
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
tabbed him as the 18th best player overall. Recruiting analyst Evan Daniels called Booker "one of the best shooters" in the country. In April, Booker began playing for the Alabama Challenge on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League circuit. After watching Booker play for the first time in the league's opening weekend, Kentucky coach
John Calipari John Vincent Calipari (born February 10, 1959) is an American basketball coach. Since 2009, he has been the head coach of the University of Kentucky men's team, with whom he won the NCAA Championship in 2012. He has been named Naismith College C ...
offered Booker a scholarship. At the South Mississippi All-Star event in May, Booker scored 23 points to lead his East team over the West team 101–70 in the underclassman game.


Senior year

During the summer of 2013, Booker participated in the Kevin Durant Skills Academy, the LeBron James Skills Academy, the CP3 Elite Guard Camp, and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Top 100 camp. His fellow participants in the NBPA camp voted him to the camp's 10-man all-star team. Booker also participated against international competition at the
Nike Global Challenge The Nike Global Challenge was an annual men's prep basketball tournament held in the Portland metropolitan area during the summer. Sponsored by Nike, Inc., games were usually played at Liberty High School (Hillsboro, Oregon), Liberty High School in ...
. At the Under Armour Elite 24 showcase, he won the three-point shooting contest. In August 2013, Booker narrowed his list of potential college choices to Florida, Missouri, Michigan, Michigan State, and Kentucky. He took an official visit to the
University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...
on the weekend of September 9 to watch an alumni exhibition game; fellow 2014 prospects
Jahlil Okafor Jahlil Obika Okafor (pronounced ; born December 15, 1995) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Capitanes de Ciudad de México of the NBA G League. He played his freshman season of college basketball for the 2014–15 ...
and
Tyler Ulis Tyler Ulis (born January 5, 1996) is an American professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the Kentucky Wildcats of the SEC. He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. At Kentucky in 2015, he led his team in ass ...
also attended. Near the beginning of October, his high school coach said Booker would announce his college choice on October 31 after taking official visits to Michigan and Missouri; he also stated that Booker was no longer considering Florida. Booker stated that ESPN had offered him the chance to make his announcement on live television, but he declined, saying he didn't want the pressure of such an event and that he wanted to keep the date flexible to allow his family from Michigan to attend. At an October 31 ceremony at his high school gymnasium, Booker announced he had chosen Kentucky, citing the program's history and his affinity for coach
John Calipari John Vincent Calipari (born February 10, 1959) is an American basketball coach. Since 2009, he has been the head coach of the University of Kentucky men's team, with whom he won the NCAA Championship in 2012. He has been named Naismith College C ...
as primary factors in his decision. He, Tyler Ulis,
Karl-Anthony Towns Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. (born November 15, 1995), sometimes known as KAT (his initials), is a Dominican-American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basket ...
and
Trey Lyles Trey Anthony Lyles (born November 5, 1995) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted by the Utah Jazz following his freshman season at the University of Kent ...
all signed National Letters of Intent to play for Kentucky on November 13, the first day of the official signing period. In December, Booker's Moss Point team traveled to the Marshall County Hoop Fest in
Marshall County, Kentucky Marshall County is a county located in far western portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,659. Its county seat is Benton. It is the only Purchase Area county that does not border another state; a ...
, to play
Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
's Ballard High School, the top-rated high school team in the state. Booker led his team in points (40), rebounds (9), and assists (2) while shooting 50% from the field and 20-for-24 from the free throw line, but his team lost the game. Two games later, he scored a season-high 45 points in a 78–67 loss to Alabama's McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in the Melvin Booker Shootout. Although Moss Point lost all three games they played in the late-December HighSchoolOT.com Invitational, Booker's 111 total points over those three games fell just four short of Donald Williams' 1991 record for the event. Booker's 38-point performance in a January 31 win against Pass Christian High School made him Moss Point's all-time career scoring leader with 2,263 points, surpassing the 2006 mark of 2,251 set by David Booker (no relation). Moss Point won Mississippi's Region 8-4A regular season and tournament championships before ending their season with a 61–56 loss to
McComb High School McComb High School is a public school in McComb, Mississippi, United States, serving 740 students in grades 912, as of 2017. Athletics McComb High School offers multiple sports, including baseball, football, and basketball. Notable alumni * Woo ...
in the Class 4A South State Finals. Booker scored 42 points in the loss, including 26 in the fourth quarter. He averaged 30.9 points per game in his senior season and finished his three-year career at Moss Point with 2,518 points. After the season, he was named to the USA Today All-USA third team. In the 2014 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game, Booker had a game-high 31 points and was named MVP of the Mississippi team, but his team lost to the Alabama team 90–83. Booker's 31 points tied
Othella Harrington Othella Harrington (born January 31, 1974) is an American former professional basketball player. After he finished his high school career at Murrah High School, he played in college at Georgetown University where he teamed with future NBA supers ...
's 1992 performance for the most ever scored by a Mississippi player in the event. Booker joined future Kentucky teammates Ulis and Lyles on the West team in the 2014
McDonald's All-American Game The McDonald's All-American Game is the all-star basketball game played each year for American and Canadian boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the concl ...
, while Towns suited up for the East. He scored a three-point basket in each half and finished with 8 points as the West won 105–102. In March, all four were selected for the
Jordan Brand Classic The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school All-Star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys in the senior class including alumns like Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Bl ...
, with Booker and Ulis on the West team and Towns and Lyles playing for the East. In May, Booker participated in the South Mississippi All-Star Basketball Showcase leading the Home team with 43 points, including a three-pointer to send the game into overtime, in a 114–106 win against the Away team. He was named the game's MVP.


College career

In Kentucky's first exhibition game against the
University of Pikeville The University of Pikeville (UPIKE) is a private university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Pikeville, Kentucky. It was founded in 1889 by the Presbyterian Church and is located on a campus on a hillside overlooking ...
on November 2, 2014, Booker was the team's second leading scorer with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including two three-pointers; he also had three assists. After a standout 15-point, 6-rebound, 7-assist game against
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...
, Booker posted a then-season-high 18 points in a November 23 win against
Montana State Montana State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's largest university. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 68 fields, and doctoral degrees in 35 fiel ...
. He led the team in scoring, shooting 6-of-8 from the field with 3 three-pointers. In Kentucky's next game against
Texas-Arlington The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or UT Arlington) is a public research university in Arlington, Texas. The university was founded in 1895 and was in the Texas A&M University System for several decades until joining the University of T ...
, Booker set a new season high with a team-high 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including five made three-pointers, in a 92–44 win. In 38 games for Kentucky in 2014–15, Booker averaged 10.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 21.5 minutes per game. He subsequently earned SEC Sixth Man of the Year honors and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and the All-SEC Second Team. On April 9, 2015, Booker declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility. He was joined by fellow Kentucky teammates Andrew Harrison,
Aaron Harrison Aaron Malik Harrison (born October 28, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for Kaohsiung Steelers of the P. League+. He was considered one of the top high school recruits in 2013 and played college basketball for the University o ...
,
Dakari Johnson Dakari Naeem Johnson (born September 22, 1995) is an American professional basketball player, who most recently played for the Qingdao Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the University of Kentucky ...
,
Willie Cauley-Stein Willie Trill Cauley-Stein (born Willie Durmond Cauley Jr.; August 18, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League. He played college basketball with the Kentucky Wildcats. He previously ...
,
Trey Lyles Trey Anthony Lyles (born November 5, 1995) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted by the Utah Jazz following his freshman season at the University of Kent ...
, and
Karl-Anthony Towns Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. (born November 15, 1995), sometimes known as KAT (his initials), is a Dominican-American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basket ...
.


Professional career


Phoenix Suns (2015–present)

On June 25, 2015, Booker was selected as the thirteenth overall pick by the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
in the 2015 NBA draft.


2015–16 season: All-Rookie honors

On July 13, Booker signed his rookie scale contract with the Suns, and in seven subsequent Summer League games, he averaged 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. He went on to make his NBA debut two days before his 19th birthday, in the Suns' season opener against the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
. In 21 minutes of action against the Mavericks, he scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting in a 111–95 loss. On January 2, 2016, Booker scored a then season-high 21 points in a 142–119 loss to the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
. On January 19, he scored 32 points in a 97–94 loss to the
Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
, setting a Suns' rookie record with six three-pointers. Booker became the third-youngest player in NBA history at 19 years, 81 days old to record a 30-point game, behind LeBron James and Kevin Durant, as well as the youngest Suns player to score 30 or more points in a game. Booker participated for Team USA in the 2016
Rising Stars Challenge The Rising Stars Challenge is a basketball exhibition game held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) on the Friday before the annual All-Star Game as part of the All-Star Weekend. The current format to be used in 2022 includes first- and ...
. He also competed in the
NBA All-Star Weekend The National Basketball Association All-Star Weekend is a weekend festival held every February during the middle of the NBA regular season that consists of a variety of basketball events, exhibitions, and performances culminating in the NBA All-Star ...
's
Three-Point Contest The Three-Point Contest is a National Basketball Association (NBA) contest held on the Saturday before the annual All-Star Game as part of All-Star Weekend. The 2019 iteration of the contest involved ten participants. From its introduction in 19 ...
, becoming the youngest contestant to ever participate in the event and only the fourth rookie to compete in the 30-year-old contest, joining
Stephen Curry Wardell Stephen Curry II ( ; born March 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, ...
(2010),
Kyle Korver Kyle Elliot Korver (born March 17, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player who currently serves as the director of player affairs and development for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played col ...
(2004) and Dennis Scott (1991). He made it to the final round of the event, where he finished third behind the "
Splash Brothers The Splash Brothers are a duo of American basketball players consisting of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The two guards play professionally for the Golden State Warriors in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Considered among the gre ...
" – Stephen Curry and
Klay Thompson Klay Alexander Thompson (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A four-time NBA champion with the Warriors, he is a five-time NBA All-Star ...
(winner). On March 3, Booker scored a then career-high 34 points in a loss to the
Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...
, On March 10, Booker recorded a career-high 35 points in a loss to the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
. Throughout the month of March, Booker led all rookies in points (22.4) and assists (4.9) per game. On April 9, with 16 points scored in a 121–100 win over the
New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
, Booker reached 1,014 for the season, making him the fourth-youngest player to reach 1,000 career points, following only LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Kobe Bryant, as well as the third-youngest during their rookie season. Booker finished fourth in the 2016
NBA Rookie of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottl ...
voting and earned
NBA All-Rookie First Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for playe ...
honors. He became the first Suns player to be named as a member of the All-Rookie Team since
Amar'e Stoudemire Amar'e Carsares Stoudemire ( ; he, אמארה יהושפט סטודמאייר; born November 16, 1982) is an American-Israeli professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a player development assistant for the Bro ...
in 2003.


2016–17 season: Improving as a sophomore

During the offseason, Booker trained with head coach
Earl Watson Earl Joseph Watson Jr. (born June 12, 1979) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA ...
and former NBA player
Baron Davis Baron Walter Louis Davis (born April 13, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who is a studio analyst for the ''NBA on TNT''. He was a two-time NBA All-Star, made the All-NBA Third Team in 2004, and twice led the NBA in s ...
at
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
, was invited to be on the select team that practices against
Team USA The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions. Olympic teams Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...
in preparation for the Summer Olympics, and played two games for the Suns during the Las Vegas Summer League. With teammate
Eric Bledsoe Eric Bledsoe (born December 9, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He plays the point guard position. After a season of college basketball with the Kentucky Wil ...
returning from injury in 2016–17, Booker was retained as the starting shooting guard while Brandon Knight was moved to the bench. Booker scored a career-highs of 38 points and 39 points on November 4 and 6. On January 12, 2017, he scored 28 fourth-quarter points, in another 39-point night, to set the Suns franchise record for most points in a quarter, previously held by
Stephon Marbury Stephon Xavier Marbury (born February 20, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player and current head coach in the Chinese Basketball Association. After his freshman year with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, he was selected as th ...
's 26 points in 2002. He had a second straight 39-point effort in a two days later to become the youngest player in NBA history to record consecutive games of 39 or more points in the regular season. He was named to the U.S. Team for the 2017
Rising Stars Challenge The Rising Stars Challenge is a basketball exhibition game held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) on the Friday before the annual All-Star Game as part of the All-Star Weekend. The current format to be used in 2022 includes first- and ...
, and was invited to take part in the 2017 Taco Bell Skills Challenge. On February 4, at 20 years, 97 days old, Booker became the youngest player to score at least 20 points in 16 consecutive games. His 16-game streak is the second-longest by any first-year or second-year player since
Vince Carter Vincent Lamar Carter Jr. (born January 26, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who serves as a basketball analyst for ESPN. He primarily played the shooting guard and small forward positions, but occasionally played Powe ...
had a 23-game run as a second-year player during the 1999–2000 season. On March 24 against the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
, Booker became the sixth player in NBA history to score 70 points in a game, joining
Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a Center (basketball), center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 yea ...
,
David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...
, David Thompson,
Elgin Baylor Elgin Gay Baylor ( ; September 16, 1934 – March 22, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive. He played 14 seasons as a forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lake ...
and
Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...
. It was the 11th 70-point game in NBA history. Booker also added eight rebounds and six assists in 45 minutes. Booker, at age 20, became the youngest player to score 70 (and 60) points in a game. He had the highest-scoring game in the NBA since Bryant scored 81 in January 2006. The Suns' previous scoring record was held by Tom Chambers with 60 points on March 24, 1990. Booker ended the season averaging 22.1 points per game, a near 9-point increment from his 13.8 points in 2015–16.


2017–18 season: Injuries

On November 6, 2017, Booker scored 18 points in a 98–92 loss to the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...
to reach 3,000 career points and the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to score 3,000 points, behind LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Carmelo Anthony. On November 13, a 36-point game and 26th 30-point in his career tied
Steve Nash Stephen John Nash (born 7 February 1974) is a Canadian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 18 seasons in the NBA, ...
for 15th most in franchise history. Over the Suns' first 17 games of the season, Booker had seven 30-point games. On December 4, Booker scored a season-high 46 points in a 115–101 win over the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
. On December 6, he was ruled out for up to three weeks after sustaining a left adductor strain the previous night against the
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...
. On December 26, in a 99–97 win over the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
, Booker scored 32 points in his return. Booker then missed four games in early February with a left hip contusion. On February 17, Booker won the Three-Point Contest over
Klay Thompson Klay Alexander Thompson (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A four-time NBA champion with the Warriors, he is a five-time NBA All-Star ...
and
Tobias Harris Tobias John Harris (born July 15, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers basketball, Ten ...
in the final round after setting a new record with 28 points. On March 2, in a 124–116 loss to the
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...
, Booker scored 39 points and at 21 years, 123 days old, he became the third-youngest player in NBA history to reach 4,000 career points, again behind LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Booker missed the Suns' final 12 games of the season with a right hand sprain.


2018–19 season: Franchise player

On July 7, 2018, Booker signed a five-year, $158 million maximum contract extension with the Suns. On September 10, he was ruled out for six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair the fifth
metacarpophalangeal joint The metacarpophalangeal joints (MCP) are situated between the metacarpal bones and the proximal phalanges of the fingers. These joints are of the condyloid kind, formed by the reception of the rounded heads of the metacarpal bones into shallow cav ...
in his right hand after he jammed it in practice on March 14, 2018. He recovered in time for the Suns' season opener on October 17, scoring 35 points in a 121–100 victory over the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
. Throughout the beginning of the season, he had multiple 30+ point games despite missing a six-game stretch when he strained his hamstring. On January 24, Booker became the fifth youngest player in NBA history to reach 5,000 career points, behind
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest pl ...
,
Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for t ...
,
Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been named an NBA All-Star ten times and an All-NBA Team me ...
, and
Dwight Howard Dwight David Howard II (born December 8, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League. He is an NBA champion, eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA Team honoree, five-time All-Defensive Team m ...
. On February 25, he scored 20 points to help the Suns break a franchise-record 17-game losing streak with a 124–121 win over the
Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...
. On March 25, he scored 59 points in a 125–92 loss to the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
. On March 27, he scored 50 points in a 124–121 loss to the Wizards, becoming the youngest player in NBA history with consecutive 50-point games. He also became first player in franchise history to reach 50 in back-to-back games. On April 3, in a 118–97 loss to the Jazz, Booker sprained his left ankle, ruling him out for the last three games of the season.


2019–20 season: First All-Star season

On November 23, 2019, Booker almost put up a triple-double with 35 points, a career-high 12 rebounds, and 9 assists in a 100–98 win over the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...
. From December 27, 2019 until January 7, 2020, Booker scored over 30 points in seven straight games, including a 40-point performance in a loss against the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
on January 5. This streak broke a franchise record for most consecutive 30+ point games in a row, beating a record previously set by
Charlie Scott Charles or Charlie Scott may refer to: Politicians * Charles Scott (governor) (1739–1813), American Revolutionary War soldier and fourth governor of Kentucky * Charles L. Scott (1827–1899), U.S. Representative from California * Charles Freder ...
twice and
Charles Barkley Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst on TNT. Nicknamed "Sir Charles", "Chuck", and "the Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley played 16 seasons in the Natio ...
once. In addition, his streak from December 28 until January 7 made him the only player since the
1983–84 NBA season The 1983–84 NBA season was the 38th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 for the second time since 1969 in the NBA Final ...
to record six straight performances of 30+ points and 6+ assists with 47% shooting efficiency. On January 28, Booker became the fourth-youngest player to reach 7,000 career points, behind only
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest pl ...
,
Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for t ...
, and
Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been named an NBA All-Star ten times and an All-NBA Team me ...
. Booker was named an All-Star on February 13, 2020 as an injury replacement after
Damian Lillard Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr. (born July 15, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Weber State Wildcats and earned ...
suffered an groin strain injury a day earlier. He also replaced Lillard in the Three Point Contest, an event he had previously won, and finished as the runner-up behind
Buddy Hield Chavano Rainer "Buddy" Hield (born December 17, 1992) is a Bahamian professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named the Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 2015 ...
. In the
2020 NBA Bubble The 2020 NBA Bubble, also referred to as the Disney Bubble or the Orlando Bubble, was the bio-secure bubble at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, that was created by the National Basketball Association (NBA) to protect its play ...
, Booker helped the Suns reached an 8–0 record as of August 11, 2020, holding an 8-game winning streak for the first time since the 2009–10 season. On August 4, Booker hit a fade-away game-winning jumper at the buzzer over
Paul George Paul Clifton Anthony George (born May 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "PG-13", he is a seven-time NBA All-Star and six-time member of th ...
and
Kawhi Leonard Kawhi Anthony Leonard ( ; born June 29, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A two-time NBA champion, he is a five-time All-Star with three All-NBA ...
to lift the Suns to a 117–115 win over the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
and bring their record there to 3–0 at the time. On August 11, he scored 35 points, breaking a franchise record set by Walter Davis for the most games of 30+ points scored with the team, as well as get 9 rebounds and 7 assists in a 130–117 win over the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
. During his time in the NBA Bubble, Booker was named a nominee for the Seeding Games MVP award (earned for the best overall performance in the NBA's resumed regular season games), as well as earned a spot for one of the All-Seeding Games Teams, averaging 31 points per game during these games.


2020–21 season: First playoff appearance and NBA Finals

On January 22, 2021, Booker reached 8,000 points scored in a 130–126 overtime loss to the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
, straining his left hamstring during that overtime. He returned to action on February 1, reaching 700 career three-point shots, including a game-winning 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left in the game, to win 109–108 over the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
. Two days later, Booker passed
Dan Majerle Daniel Lewis Majerle (; born September 9, 1965), also known by the nickname "Thunder Dan", is an American former professional basketball player and former coach of the Grand Canyon Antelopes. He played 14 years in the National Basketball Associat ...
for 10th place in the Suns all-time scoring list in a 123–101 loss to the
New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
. On February 8, 2021, Booker scored a season-high 36 points in a 119–113 win over the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
. He later matched his season-high for points on February 13 in a 120–111 win over the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
. Booker was then named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the first time in his career on February 15 for the week of February 8–14, 2021, becoming the first Suns player to get the award since
Goran Dragić Goran Dragić (born 6 May 1986) is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Dragon", he had played professional basketball in Slovenia and Spain before entering ...
in 2014. On February 24, for the second year in a row, Booker was named an All-Star as an injury replacement, this time to
Anthony Davis Anthony Marshon Davis Jr. (born March 11, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the power forward and center positions. Davis is an eight-time NB ...
. He and
Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and “The Point God”, is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Paul is widely regarded as one o ...
became the first Suns duo since
Steve Nash Stephen John Nash (born 7 February 1974) is a Canadian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 18 seasons in the NBA, ...
and
Amar'e Stoudemire Amar'e Carsares Stoudemire ( ; he, אמארה יהושפט סטודמאייר; born November 16, 1982) is an American-Israeli professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as a player development assistant for the Bro ...
in 2010 to be named All-Stars. The duo would also help Phoenix clinch their first playoff berth since 2009–10 Phoenix Suns season, 2010. On May 23, Booker would make his NBA playoff debut, posting 34 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists in a 99–90 victory in Game 1 of the First Round over the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. On June 3, Booker recorded a playoff career-high 47 points, along with 11 rebounds to lead the Suns to a 113–100 series-clinching victory over the Lakers in Game 6 to advance to the Conference Semifinals against the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
. In Game 4 against the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
in the Conference Semifinals, Booker dropped 34 points and 11 rebounds in a 125–118 victory, leading the Suns to a 4–0 series sweep over the Nuggets for their first 2021 NBA playoffs, Western Conference Finals appearance since 2010. In Game 1 of the Conference Finals, Booker recorded his first career triple-double with 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists, in a 120–114 win over the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
. In Game 6 of the Conference Finals, Booker dropped 22 points in a 130–103 victory over the Clippers, to lead the Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals, NBA Finals for the first time since 1993 NBA Finals, 1993. In Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks, Booker put up 27 points in a 118–105 win. In Game 2 of the 2021 NBA Finals, Booker put up 31 points, shooting 7-for-12 from three-point range, in a 118–108 win, as Phoenix took a 2–0 series lead. On July 14, Booker broke Rick Barry's 54 year old record of most points in first NBA playoff appearance with 601. Despite the success, the Suns would lose to the Bucks in six games. Booker in his first career playoffs averaged 27.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists, with 45/32/91% shooting, and back-to-back 40-point games in the Finals becoming the third player in NBA history to have back-to-back 40 point games in the Finals.


2021–22 season: Franchise record in wins and All-NBA honors

During the 2021–22 NBA season, on November 29, 2021, Booker was named the Player of the Week in the Western Conference for his performance during Week 6 of the season, which helped the Suns achieve a franchise-record 18-game winning streak. He received the honor again on January 17, 2022 for his efforts during Week 13. Booker was named an NBA All-Star Game, All-Star along with teammate for the third year in a row alongside teammate
Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and “The Point God”, is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Paul is widely regarded as one o ...
when reserves were announced on February 10. That night, he was selected for Team Durant as part of the All-Star Draft. On March 24, 2022, Booker scored a season-high 49 points in a 140–130 road victory over the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
, becoming the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to score 11,000 points. He finished the week averaging 37.3 points and 6.3 assists per game and was named the Week 23 Western Conference Player of the Week. Booker and the Suns finished the regular season with the league's best overall record at 64–18. Booker was also named to the All-NBA Team, All-NBA First Team, the first in his career. Booker began the postseason in good form, scoring 56 points during the first two games of the Suns' first-round series against the 8-seeded
New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
, but left Game 2 in the third quarter after suffering what would be diagnosed as a grade 1 hamstring injury. After missing the next three games, Booker returned in the Suns' 115–109 Game 6 road win that clinched the series and an appearance in the 2022 NBA playoffs, Western Conference Semifinals for Phoenix. In the Western Conference Semifinals, the Suns jumped to a 2–0 lead in the series against the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
before losing in seven games.


2022–23 season: Contract extension

On July 7, 2022, Booker agreed to a four-year, $224 million maximum contract extension with the Suns; the same day, he was announced as one of the cover stars of ''NBA 2K23.'' On November 18, Booker scored 49 points alongside 8 rebounds and 10 assists in a 134–133 loss to the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
. On November 30, Booker scored a then season-high 51 points in just three quarters on 20-of-25 shooting from the field in a 132–113 win over the Chicago Bulls. He was named Western Conference Player of the Month, averaging 29.0 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game, and 5.8 assists per game in October and November. On December 17, Booker scored a season-high 58 points in a 118–114 win over the
New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
. He became the sixth youngest player to reach 12,000 career points trailing only
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest pl ...
,
Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for t ...
,
Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...
,
Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been named an NBA All-Star ten times and an All-NBA Team me ...
, and Tracy McGrady.


National team career

Due to his mother's ethnic background, Booker drew interest from the Mexico men's national basketball team, Mexican and United States men's national basketball team, U.S. national teams. He played on the 2016 USA Select Team that trained against the 2016 United States men's Olympic basketball team, 2016 U.S. Olympic team. In February 2020, he was named a finalist to play on the 2020 United States men's Olympic basketball team. However, the 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed into 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Booker and Team USA won the Olympic gold medal in men's basketball.


Career statistics


NBA


Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 Phoenix Suns season, Phoenix , 76 , , 51 , , 27.7 , , .423 , , .343 , , .840 , , 2.5 , , 2.6 , , .6 , , .3 , , 13.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 Phoenix Suns season, Phoenix , 78 , , 78 , , 35.0 , , .423 , , .363 , , .832 , , 3.2 , , 3.4 , , .9 , , .3 , , 22.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", 2017–18 Phoenix Suns season, Phoenix , 54 , , 54 , , 34.5 , , .432 , , .383 , , .878 , , 4.5 , , 4.7 , , .9 , , .3 , , 24.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", 2018–19 Phoenix Suns season, Phoenix , 64 , , 64 , , 35.0 , , .467 , , .326 , , .866 , , 4.1 , , 6.8 , , .9 , , .2 , , 26.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", 2019–20 Phoenix Suns season, Phoenix , 70 , , 70 , , 35.9 , , .489 , , .354 , , .919 , , 4.2 , , 6.5 , , .7 , , .3 , , 26.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", 2020–21 Phoenix Suns season, Phoenix , 67 , , 67 , , 33.9 , , .484 , , .340 , , .867 , , 4.2 , , 4.3 , , .8 , , .2 , , 25.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", 2021–22 Phoenix Suns season, Phoenix , 68 , , 68 , , 34.5 , , .466 , , .383 , , .868 , , 5.0 , , 4.8 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , 26.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"
Career
, 477 , , 452 , , 33.7 , , .457 , , .357 , , .870 , , 3.9 , , 4.7 , , .8 , , .3 , , 23.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 2 , , 0 , , 24.5 , , .462 , , .154 , , , , 4.5 , , 1.0 , , 2.0 , , .5 , , 13.0


Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2021 NBA playoffs, 2021 , style="text-align:left;", 2020–21 Phoenix Suns season, Phoenix , 22 , , 22 , , 40.4 , , .447 , , .321 , , .905 , , 5.6 , , 4.5 , , .8 , , .2 , , 27.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2022 NBA playoffs, 2022 , style="text-align:left;", 2021–22 Phoenix Suns season, Phoenix , 10 , , 10 , , 36.6 , , .451 , , .431 , , .887 , , 4.8 , , 4.4 , , .5 , , .4 , , 23.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"
Career
, 32 , , 32 , , 39.2 , , .448 , , .356 , , .900 , , 5.4 , , 4.5 , , .7 , , .3 , , 26.1


College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, Kentucky , 38 , , 0 , , 21.5 , , .470 , , .411 , , .828 , , 2.0 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , .1 , , 10.0


Personal life

Booker's maternal grandfather is from Mexico. Devin is the only child of his father,
Melvin Booker Melvin Jermaine Booker (born August 20, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. A , point guard, he played for the University of Missouri. Amateur career Booker was a standout high school player in Moss Point, Mississippi. ...
, a former professional basketball player. In 2020, Booker was named a global ambassador to the Special Olympics for his support for his younger half-sister who has microdeletion syndrome, a genetic chromosomal disorder. Booker has his own charitable foundation called the Starting Five, which grants five nonprofit organizations $100,000 each, and plans to donate $500,000 to Phoenix charities per year for 5 years. In 2019, Booker bought a 5,590 square foot house in Paradise Valley, Arizona for $3.5 million.


See also

* List of National Basketball Association single-game scoring leaders * List of oldest and youngest National Basketball Association players * List of second-generation National Basketball Association players * NBA regular season records#Rookie and age-related records, NBA regular season records * List of Puerto Ricans


References


External links


Kentucky Wildcats bio

Draft profile at NBA.com

Phoenix Suns web page dedicated to Devin Booker

Fire and Desire

Phoenix Suns Star Devin Booker Is Your Favorite Player's Favorite Player

The Rise of Devin Booker
{{DEFAULTSORT:Booker, Devin 1996 births Living people African-American basketball players American men's basketball players American philanthropists American sportspeople of Mexican descent American sportspeople of Puerto Rican descent Basketball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Basketball players from Grand Rapids, Michigan Basketball players from Mississippi Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players McDonald's High School All-Americans Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics National Basketball Association All-Stars Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball People from Moss Point, Mississippi People from Paradise Valley, Arizona Phoenix Suns draft picks Phoenix Suns players Shooting guards Sportspeople from the Phoenix metropolitan area United States men's national basketball team players