Devin Booker was born on October 30, 1996, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing college basketball for one season with the Kentucky Wildcats, Booker was selected by the Suns in the first round of the 2015 NBA draft with the 13th overall pick.
Booker: Student-Athlete
High school
Devin Booker attended Moss Point High School in Moss Point, Mississippi, where he was a two-time Mississippi Mr. Basketball and was named to the McDonald’s All-American team and the Jordan Brand Classic.
- Sophomore year: Booker averaged 22.2 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, and 2.8 assists per game. He led Moss Point to the Class 4A state championship game, where they lost to Starkville High School.
- Junior year: Booker averaged 30.9 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, and 3.1 assists per game. He led Moss Point to the Class 4A state championship game again, where they lost to Wayne County High School.
- Senior year: Booker averaged 32.0 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game, and 4.2 assists per game. He led Moss Point to the Class 4A state championship game for the third straight year, where they lost to Brandon High School.
Booker was also a standout track and field athlete at Moss Point High School, where he was a state champion in the long jump and triple jump. As a result, Booker’s high school achievements helped him earn a scholarship to play basketball at the University of Kentucky.
College
However, despite only playing one season of college basketball at Kentucky, Devin Booker had a big impact. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and the SEC All-Second Team. He also won the SEC Sixth Man of the Year award.
- Booker averaged 10.0 points per game, 2.0 rebounds per game, and 1.1 assists per game. He shot 47.0% from the field, 41.1% from three-point range, and 82.8% from the free-throw line.
- Booker’s best game of the season came against the University of Texas, when he scored 27 points in the Wildcats’ 86-75 win.
- Booker helped Kentucky reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to eventual national champion Duke.
Subsequently, after his one year at Kentucky, Booker declared for the NBA draft and was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 13th overall pick.
NBA
Initially,The Suns selected Booker with the 13th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. He made his NBA debut on October 28, 2015, against the New Orleans Pelicans, scoring 14 points in 28 minutes of action.
- Rookie season: Booker averaged 13.8 points per game and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
- Second season: Booker averaged 22.1 points per game and became the youngest player in NBA history to score 60 points in a game, doing so on March 7, 2017, against the Boston Celtics.
- Third season: Booker averaged 25.6 points per game and was named to the NBA All-Star Game for the first time.
- Fourth season: Booker averaged 26.6 points per game and led the Suns to the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2010.
- Fifth season: Booker averaged 27.9 points per game and was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time. He also helped the Suns reach the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games.
Booker is considered to be one of the best young players in the NBA. He is a versatile scorer who can shoot from anywhere on the court. He is also a good passer and rebounder. Booker is a key piece of the Suns’ future and is expected to lead them to more success in the years to come.
Devin Booker
Booker is a devout Christian. He is also a philanthropist and has worked with several charities, including the Phoenix Suns Charities and the Devin Booker Foundation. Booker is considered to be one of the best young players in the NBA. He is a versatile scorer who can shoot from anywhere on the court. He is also a good passer and rebounder. Booker is a key piece of the Suns’ future. Devin is expected to lead them to more success in the years to come.