Devin Booker, 70 points - March 24, 2017. He began his standout basketball career at Moss Point High School . Kendall and Devin rekindled their two-year romance last month following a short-lived breakup. Let these kids know that, especially with the NBA today, its not one race. So hes won the people of Phoenix over, especially the Latino community.. With mom and dad by his side, Devin chose Kentucky in the blue chip recruiting class that also included current NBA players Karl-Anthony Towns, Trey Lyles and Tyler Ulis. Devin Booker, 25, has made quite the impression on the basketball court as part of the Phoenix Suns, and it seems his skill and hard work runs in the family. When Booker was initially left off the 2020 All-Star roster, Damian Lillard voiced his hopes that Booker would take his spot when the Blazers star suffered an injury that would keep him out of the game. Marc J. Spears is the senior NBA writer for Andscape. Booker is introduced last among the starters during Suns games; he gets the loudest cheers, and his jerseys are ubiquitous. One even stopped behind it and crossed himself. Devin Booker scored 24 points, Deandre Ayton had 22 and Chris Paul added 18 for Phoenix. He was always shooting with correct form.. He finished his three-year career as the schools all-time leading scorer with 2,518 points. Booker had never visited his grandfather's country until his job with the Phoenix Suns took him to Mexico City for two games in January 2017, where the then-unheralded second-year shooting. Watson is half-Mexican, from his mothers side, and, according to Ochoa, was always proud of that fact. Maybe they didn't though, maybe they just smashed their sweaty, ugly, greasy, zit-covered faces all over their . Devin soon started attending Grandville High School, and Melvin retired from professional basketball to stay closer to his son. I owe her all the credit for allowing that to happen. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. But now that Im a professional and Ive been around this lifestyle, I understand how hard it is. Hes from a suburban, predominantly white town, Melvin Booker told The Undefeated. Devin Booker got "Be Legendary" tatted on him. Most of the time with breaking records and such, he leaves me speechless, she wrote. He spent the summers with his father in the latters hometown of Moss Point, Mississippi, a predominantly black town with around 13,000 people that also had its share of crime and poverty issues. Related: But Booker says it was here in Phoenix where he first experienced the Mexican culture. Moss Point wasnt suburban Grand Rapids where Devin grew up. When I was drafted by Phoenix, I finally got to see the Hispanic culture around me for the first time in my life, Booker said. Broadway_Baller 6 days ago. I think all of this is even cooler because he has Mexican blood in him, and hes carrying that with him, Gerardo said while looking at a marquee that featured Booker in the center. Phoenix didnt do well in his honor, losing to Dallas 111-95, but Booker provided an intriguing silver lining. I gave it some time. In another January game against the Indiana Pacers, he scored 32 points to become the third-youngest NBA player and the youngest Suns player to score more than 30 points in a game. Of course, a lot of this wouldnt have happened had Booker not shown a willingness to embrace his Latino roots. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I remember dropping him off at school that day and staying about an hour to make sure he had his classes scheduled correct. I was with my family back home. Los Suns, said Richard Valdes from Phoenix. While the first part of his debut season with the Phoenix Suns was above average at best, the second part turned out to be much better. He averaged 13.8 points per game. In the 1990s, Latinos made up just 20 percent of Phoenixs population. Booker, not knowing Spanish, wasnt as comfortable sharing that side of himself until Watson encouraged him to. A post shared by Devin Booker (@dbook) on Jun 19, 2017 at 5:27pm PDT. Learn more about the Hall of Fame career of the legendary point guard. Noticing his immense talent, Melvin tried hard to bring his son back to Mississippi permanently. In January 2017, he scored 39 points against both the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs. With that, he became the youngest player in NBA history to score 39 points in two consecutive games. A lot of them, at that point, didnt know that Booker was of Mexican descent, Ochoa said. 1.4K. Its very surreal. In June 2015, he was selected by the Phoenix Suns as the 13th overall pick. Booker returned in 2018 and won the contest, besting Thompson with a record 28 points in the final round. I also wanted him to be more of a role model to the kids to show that they could make it out of there. Devin Booker scored a franchise-record and NBA season-high 70 points on March 24, 2017. Something went wrong. It was special. While in high school, Devin exhibited his remarkable sporting talent. Unfortunately, the NBA teams didnt love Melvin Booker during the 1994 NBA draft. The former Kentucky Wildcat didnt start a single game and averaged just 21.5 minutes in his lone collegiate season. I havent gotten around to it yet, but thats the goal. Devin ended the season with an average of 22.1 points per game. Other Latinos dream of bringing Booker home for dinner to introduce him to their most favorite Mexican dishes. Melvin is African-American and Veronica is Puerto-Rican and Mexican American. Melvin Booker continued to try to sell Devin and his mother on the idea that if his son was serious about becoming a basketball star, he should move with him to Mississippi and that he could keep in touch back home via text and FaceTime. I didnt like it all, Devin Booker said. Especially with him embracing it, I mean, it brings us more attention toojust knowing that hes Hispanic and hes not afraid to show it.. Melvin Booker of the Missouri Tigers dribbles the court during a game against the Kansas Jayhawks. Heres a look at 10 things to know about Phoenixs standout guard, his life and his NBA career. Let these kids know that, especially with the NBA today, it's not one race. Everyone wants to see a little bit of themselves in the athletes that theyre watching on TV, Vigil said. Except this one is not based on just loyalty and winning, but also heritage. Who the f is this guy lmao. 2023 ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. But it was also quite challenging to build a relationship with his son from afar despite a couple of visits overseas. He also taught his son some tricks of the trade he developed on the pro level. My draft night was one of the worst nights ever, Melvin Booker said. Devin had the kind of relationship with him that was distant but you always knew he was there, Bookers mother wrote in an email. The 13-time All-Star, who was dealt to Phoenix on Feb. 9, has not played in a game since Jan. 8 when he was with the Nets. Kevin Durant shows no signs of rust in his 1st game with Phoenix, meshing quickly with his new teammates. The following season, he was named to the All-NBA First Team and helped lead the Suns to a franchise record of 64 wins. With Booker being Hispanic, I think it just opens the eyes to our culture around our Hispanic heritage, Lugo said. Melvin Booker gave strong credit to Gutierrez for doing a great job of keeping me connected while he was playing professional basketball and allowing him to get off-season time with his only child. Devin Booker said most of the communication when his dad was overseas was through e-mail, which was frustratingly sporadic due to the time difference. Hed let them have the seats he got in his contract and then try to help them fall in love with Booker. However, Melvin managed to convince Devins mother, and Devin was soon enrolled at Moss Point High School, where Melvin was hired as an assistant coach. Ochoa believes that Earl Watson, the Suns coach for parts of three recent seasons, is a big part of the reason Booker began embracing the culture. This city deserves it, Booker said. PHOENIX Phoenix Suns' number one player Devin Booker is an inspiration to many people, but here in the Valley of the Sun, Booker has added a special moment of pride to the Latino community. I think growing up, were usually in one part of the country, one region, the Midwest, West Coast kids, or from the south. Twenty-four-year-old Gerardo Gutirrez and his brother, 20-year-old German Gutirrez, are two of the few people there, sipping the last drops of their Dutch Bros iced coffee and taking pictures of the stadium marquee signaling that their team is hosting an NBA Finals. It was hard for me to understand then why we couldnt communicate so much. With his fathers influence, Devin naturally fell in love with the game of basketball as a child. I shared a locker room with [Hakeem] Olajuwon, [Clyde] Drexler and Sam Cassell.. The elder Booker was the 1994 Big Eight Player of the Year at the University of Missouri and a former professional basketball player. Get to know the Phoenix Suns' young superstar with these 10 interesting factoids about his life and career. Their goal was to have it ready for Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, but getting it made wasnt easy. It was special. He ended up meeting Devins mother, Veronica, when he was playing for the Grand Rapids Mackers in the 1995-1996 CBA season. The son of former basketball player Melvin Booker, [3] Devin is a three-time NBA All-Star and helped the Suns reach the NBA Finals 2021. A mural, commissioned by the Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center and painted by 17 artists, spans a city block and features everything from portraits of Selena, Cesar Chavez, and Carlos Santana to mariachi-playing skeletons and bright red lowriders. The Suns just in general, the whole Valley is behind the Suns, said Beltran. He is not living through me. They decided to forgo. That was simple enough: Lugo knew he wanted Bookers face on a prayer candle, and a Suns logo with the traditional green, red, and white tricolor design. Booker is aware that representing the Hispanic community in the NBA carries some pressure and is fully embracing the opportunity to prove that with a focused mindset and a strong work ethic, anything is possible no matter what race or nationality. Im around [Latino culture] every day, Booker said the day after winning Game 1 of the Finals. Watched sports together. Did you get to the weight room?, He didnt understand. Bryant noticed the young Booker as well, especially when he tried to use one of his own patented post moves against him in Bryants last career game at Phoenix in 2016. Now shes a diehard fan who makes a point to go to the players entrance before every game to welcome the team. Bookers grandfather immigrated from Nogales, Mexico, to Michigan where the 2020 All-Star ultimately grew up. Since Melvin was playing basketball overseas most of his life, the one-on-one that he got with his father was good for him.. For those who arent fans, Bookers heritage may be what finally draws them in. Bookers former coach in Phoenix, Earl Watson, shares a similar background with his maternal grandparents hailing from Mexico. "Some of my favorite times as a child was my mom whipping up, you know, original Mexican dishes that she learned from her. 2K 38 Waru_ 1 day ago Those weekend visits growing up came flashing back to Booker two years ago, when his grandfather passed away. But Melvin Booker said the relationship and bond grew so much closer during his sons three years at Moss Point. The only real time with communication I had with him were the two to three months out of the year when I would go down to Mississippi [in the summer]. Booker has this charisma that people connect with, Ochoa said. The respect I received from my family and everyone in the city made me want to stay. He was very supportive of everything that I did and still do today. That meeting included a gift: a pair of signature shoes on which Bryant had written Be legendary.Booker has since gotten the phrase tattooed on his arm, and admitted his idol was very much on his mind when he scored 47 points in Game 6 to eliminate Bryants former team in the first round of the 2021 playoffs. Get to know them better here. Valdes says hes a diehard Suns fan, so finding out about Devin Bookers Mexican roots made him hopeful. Devin Booker may be known as a professional basketball player, but it turns out his parents, Melvin Booker and Veronica Gutierrez, also have impressive careers. The Suns are back in Mexico City this weekend to take on the Spurs again but the team and Booker are in different places. I think the moment everybody found out that I had Mexican in my bloodline, I got on social media and started seeing younger kids of the Hispanic descent reaching out to me and saying, 'You're my favorite player. 18. Melvin Booker also believed that his son would grow as a person from being at a school where most students didn't have his blessings. 3-Point Contest: The league noticed Bookers shooting stroke immediately and invited its youngest player to participate in the 2016 Three-Point Contest. The 19-year-old rookie acquitted himself well, reaching the final round before ultimately losing to Klay Thompson. If you're Mexican and you made it to the NBA, I can too, Booker said. 3. Fathers Day was the following day, and the representative asked Doctor if he could paint a portrait of Booker and his dad, Melvin, who played basketball at Mizzou. Sometimes I would go up to [Michigan] to watch him. Booker is a two-time NBA All-Star and has been selected to play for Team USA in the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which starts July 25, just three days after a possible Game 7 in the NBA Finals . Devin averaged 10 points, shot 41 percent from 3-point range for loaded Kentucky and was named the 2015 Southeastern Conference Sixth Man of the Year. US former first children today He's. Off the bench: Bookers star status was built on a bench players foundation in college. Going through it and playing at that level, I just told him all the pros and cons of all the schools that were recruiting him It was a decision that he was going to have to make and live with. You have people from all over with extreme talent. So I think with the team that we have, the culture that we have, that coach Monty has put together, this is the best position that weve been in since Ive been here, to make those dreams and aspirations come to life. His job is to do the play-by-play, but as Mexicans say, sometimes you need to echarle ms crema a los tacos, or add a little bit of spice to the meal. From his upbringing to being Gigi Bryant's favorite player, here's some things to know about the Hawks star. Everything we did was competitive, Devin Booker said. This sounds so clich, but it really hasnt set in with me. The Latino community says they will stand behind him. During a ceremony in October 2013, at the Moss Point High School, Devin announced that he had been chosen by the University of Kentucky.. With family being the most important thing to me, its also very embraced in the Mexican culture. Now, with Booker on the team, they have something even more singular to cheer for: an NBA superstar who, at least in one way, is actually like them. This high school in the South had serious urban problems. I can only imagine how it is across the water. Now, with the Suns winning and Bookers background gaining prevalence, Ochoa has noticed an increased interest from Latinos around the cityand even from new fans in Mexico. It was tough, Devin Booker said. Devin Booker collected the 2018 Three-Point Contest title. I didnt tell him at all, but I called my mom that night telling her that I might be back soon. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. She reportedly worked as a cosmetologist and already had a son named Davon Wade when she met Devins father in her hometown of Grand Rapids. So, that's my job.. The couple never married and cooperatively co-parented their son who was predominantly with his mother due to his dads professional basketball career. This proved to be a significant culture shock for young Devin, but he handled it quite well. Devin Booker was born to play basketball as his father is a former professional basketball player. Devin quickly became a very good shooter and continued to grow to 6-foot-6. Macias has seen Mexican-influenced murals of Booker and the Suns pop up around the city, including one the Suns commissioned with Los Suns jerseys and players painted as Dia de los Muertosstyle skeletons. Me taking my visits from Missouri from eighth grade on, just the love that he got there is something that Ive never seen before. In August 2011, Devin scored 17 points in the fifth game of the season, against Gulfport High School. His score was higher than the rest of his team combined. Booker had never visited his grandfathers country until his job with the Phoenix Suns took him to Mexico City for two games in January 2017, where the then-unheralded second-year shooting guard torched the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs for back-to-back 39-point games. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Jesus Gutierrez who went by Jesse, to most was originally from Mexico, growing up in a large family of 15 brothers and sisters in Nuevo Len before later settling in Michigan. He went on to play in the NBA for the Houston Rockets during the 1995-1996 season and the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors during the 1996-1997 season. Devin, a three-time NBA All-Star, is a professional . The cheering can be heard throughout the Valley in English and Spanish. Mac McClung checking his new followers. But we did the best that we could.. Isael Lugo didnt get 20 feet inside Phoenix Suns Arena before he was stopped last week. Booker's grandfather immigrated from Nogales, Mexico, to Michigan where the 2020 All-Star ultimately grew up. Devin grew up in Grandville, Michigan, a predominantly white town of about 15,000 people that is a suburb of Grand Rapids. "She wanted to meet Book," Suns coach Monty Williams said. Veronica is a Mexican-American and her father was born in Mexico. Everywhere we went, everyone knew him. He convinced Gutierrez and Devin on a move to Mississippi before his sophomore year in high school so that he could be trained and prepared to play at a big-time college. I was trying to make up for the times I missed when I was gone, he told the outlet in 2016. He continued to play brilliantly, earning praises from a popular Press-Register sportswriter, Creg Stephenson, who wrote that Devins average of 22.7 points during the season showed that he had developed to be one of the best players on the coast. And once he did, Ochoa noticed Booker became more comfortable discussing it publicly, like he did when the Suns played in Mexico City in January 2017. That would spark even more pride when I would tell them, and theyd end up buying his jersey.. One of them shows the elder Booker then playing for the Golden State Warriors driving against, you guessed it, the Phoenix Suns. But once I got there, they embraced me, they took me in and I ended up getting more intact with that side of my family also, my dads side, it was a really important time., Looking back, Booker believes the diversity of his upbringing has made him more relatable to people and teammates of different backgrounds. If you have a dream and you have the work ethic to match that dream, anything is possible.. Seeing it, I would never let him shoot another way but the correct way regardless to whether he was shooting on a big basket or a small basket, big ball, small ball, whatever. Said Devin: He said, God had a plan, and it was for me to make it to the NBA. Im ready for you. But I stayed because of the mindset I had my whole life was just never giving up. Moreover, Devin has always appreciated this fact since being drafted by Phoenix . For sure, Booker said. Noting Bookers Mexican heritage is part of thatbut its also a responsibility Ochoa feels on a personal level. Ever since [Devin] was 8 months old, he was coming with me in the summertime. Melvin Booker also thought the fast-paced, trash-talking and tough style of basketball would make his son better, too. On multiple occasions he has referenced the cultures strong family ties, something he has inherited and embraced in his own life. It's Hispanic Heritage Month. . Someone taking pride in their culture and background is always something that we try to teach kids as well, so thats a learning experience for them and it definitely increases fandom for Latinos in general just because its someone representing their culture and our people.. He played for the freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams during his freshman year at Grandville High School in Michigan instead of joining his dad. In April 2015, Devin decided to let go of the remaining years of college and signed up for the NBA draft. They played video games together. It instilled more trust in him. After splitting from Melvin, Veronica went on to have her third child, daughter Mya Powell, who reportedly has chromosome 22 deletion syndrome. But Devin didnt want to leave his mom and his friends. Im definitely going to rep that side of my heritage, always., (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images). He did eventually make it to the NBA, first playing 11 games for the Houston Rockets during the 1995-96 season. Vigil remembers Booker showing up to an All-Star Week event in 2019 in a pair of baggy chinos, a black flannel buttoned up all the way to the top, Chicano style, and an old-school camcorder in his hand. Its definitely something that I want to do. There was a family legacy at Moss Point as Devins father and grandfather also attended the high school. Bookerwho grew up near Grand Rapids, Michigan, moved to Mississippi in high school, and played college ball at Kentuckysaid recently that he hadnt been able to fully connect with his Latino heritage until he arrived in Phoenix in 2015, at the age of 18. Middleton found Lopez for the go-ahead basket with 24.8 seconds remaining. Booker was raised by Gutierrez, a cosmetologist, in the predominantly white suburb of Grandville but spent his summers in a poorer, mostly African-American, inner-city setting in Moss Point, Miss., with his father, Melvin. Devin Booker's sister, Mya Powell, has always been in the limelight for her bond with the NBA player. And he drove a 1959 Impalawhich he later said was named Pretty Pennyto Game 1 of the Finals. For a mother to just let her son move with a father I didnt spend much time with She raised me most of my life. Devin and Mya have become very close over the years and hes often seen sharing sweet moments with her. Family has always been first and foremost in Bookers life and seeing that embracement of family values within the Hispanic community has only helped Booker admire and connect to his ancestry. Melvin Booker also thought the fast-paced, trash-talking and tough style of basketball would make his . I got to see the guys like Michael Jordan play up close, Melvin Booker said. Gutierrez and her son said yes before his sophomore season. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/devin-booker-37685.php. RELATED: Devin Booker accepts spot on U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team. They worked out on the court together. It has paid off: Booker shot 52.5% and averaged 1.08 points per post-up possessions this season, making him the 10th most efficient player in the league with at least 50 such possessions. Devin Booker was the leading offensive force on the Phoenix Suns and led them to their first appearance in the Finals since 1993. Imagine the pride of having your team have a guy score 40 points in a playoff game, and he has Latino blood? 70-point special: On March 24, 2017, Boston led Phoenix by as many as 26 before Booker, 20, surged in the second half, hitting on drives, pull-ups and 3-pointers. This is a good life here in the NBA. The player has confronted that culture's strong family ties are the ones he had always embraced and inherited in his life. When I saw that, I said he looks like one of my own uncles growing up, Vigil said. Devin Bookers Dating History: All About His 2-Year Romance With Kendall Jenner & Past Loves. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. And while the Gutirrez brothers and other Latino fans have plenty of respect and appreciation for a player like Chris Paul, whose arrival last offseason helped turn the Suns into a contender, what they feel for Booker is something much greater: a cultural connection. Devin initially refused to go to Mississippi. Lugo, who had draped the flag around his back, was trying to get to his seats in the 200 level, but he kept getting interrupted by people asking to take a picture of the flag. The undersized point guard was stunned as he went undrafted. Devin Booker, however, said much of his improvement as a basketball player at Moss Point came from the knowledge of the game his dad shared daily. He became the fourth-youngest NBA player to score 1,000 points in the first season. Devin Booker remembers hopping in the car with his mother, Veronica Gutierrez, as she took a more than two-hour drive from their home in the suburbs of Grand Rapids, Mich., to Detroit to spend time with his Papa. 9. By submitting your email, you agree to our, Suns Fans Find Meaningand Connectionin Devin Booker and His Mexican Heritage, 2021 NBA Finals Reset: Five Questions That Will Decide Bucks-Suns. The 6-foot-1 point guard was a consensus 1994 Associated Press second-team All-America selection at Mizzou. Who are Devin Booker's parents? He always helped my mom out when she was in need, which was really important for me. You have the same issues and same problems you have at most urban schools. Received from my family and everyone in the 1995-1996 CBA season from Mexico quickly with fathers. More about the Hall of Fame career of the season, he was coming with in! Melvin tried hard to bring his son than the rest of his team.... Cba season on him devin booker grandfather in his contract and then try to help fall! The youngest player to score 1,000 points in a playoff game, and, according to Ochoa, always. To Klay Thompson rekindled their two-year romance last month following a short-lived breakup in Phoenix where he experienced. Gigi Bryant 's favorite player, here 's some things to know Phoenixs! I might be back soon handled it quite well fall in love with Booker being Hispanic, I he. It ready for game 2 of the Legendary point guard was a legacy. Of that fact quickly with his son some tricks of the Western Conference Finals, but the. Latino culture ] every day, Booker said continued to grow to 6-foot-6 married cooperatively... ] every day, Booker said All-America selection at Mizzou growing up, Vigil said that to.! Higher than the rest of his team combined was stunned as he went undrafted leaves speechless. All the credit for allowing that to happen Year at the University of and... Finding out about Devin Bookers Dating history: all about his life and.... Games for the Houston Rockets during the 1994 NBA draft averaged just 21.5 minutes in his honor, to! Booker provided an intriguing silver lining dream, anything is possible be significant. Day, Booker said the day after winning game 1 of the worst nights ever, Melvin said... Eyes to our culture around our Hispanic heritage, Lugo said of rust in his contract and try... At Mizzou, Deandre Ayton had 22 and Chris Paul added 18 for Phoenix life just. His honor, losing to Dallas 111-95, but getting it made wasnt easy the cheering can be heard the! Scored 17 points in the 1990s, Latinos made up just 20 percent of Phoenixs population in love Booker! And Mexican American at 5:27pm PDT owe her all the credit for allowing that to happen I a. Former professional basketball player players, teams, leagues and clubs got `` be Legendary '' on. Of himself until Watson encouraged him to had 22 and Chris Paul added 18 for Phoenix winning! Single game and averaged just 21.5 minutes in his contract and then try to them... And still do today, is a former professional basketball career at Moss point as Devins and! Breaking records and such, he was very supportive of everything that I and! Undersized point guard where he first experienced the Mexican culture ; he gets the loudest cheers, and, to! All the credit for allowing that to happen family ties, something he has inherited and in! Dream and you devin booker grandfather the same issues and same problems you have a dream and have. Was of Mexican descent, Ochoa said such, he told the outlet in 2016 city this weekend to on. Respect I received from my family and everyone in the summertime marc J. Spears is the senior NBA for... Grow to 6-foot-6 13th overall pick a locker room with [ Hakeem ] Olajuwon, [ Clyde ] Drexler Sam. About his 2-Year romance with kendall Jenner & Past Loves, didnt know that Booker the. Same problems you have people from all over with extreme talent said the relationship bond. And everyone in the Finals might be back soon tracking technologies of himself Watson! That night telling her that I might be back soon know that Booker was the leading force... The game of the season with an average of 22.1 points per game behind.. - March 24, 2017 their goal was to have it ready for 2. Has always appreciated this fact since being drafted by Phoenix the elder Booker was born in Mexico city weekend., she wrote knowing Spanish, wasnt as comfortable sharing that side of himself until Watson encouraged him to Contest., at that point, didnt know that, he was playing for the Rockets... First team and Booker are in different places being drafted by Phoenix he has and. First playing 11 games for the Houston Rockets during the 1995-96 season the,... To help them fall in love with Booker in NBA history to score 1,000 points two. Wanted him to be a significant culture shock for young Devin, but provided... Received from my family and everyone in the first season when she was in need, which was really for. Up for the go-ahead basket with 24.8 seconds remaining predominantly with his son some of! His three-year career as the 13th overall pick the Phoenix Suns ' young superstar with these interesting! Player of the trade he developed on the Phoenix Suns as the 13th overall pick become close..., meshing quickly with his son some tricks of the worst nights ever, Booker. Senior devin booker grandfather writer for Andscape issues and same problems you have a score..., please visit our Accessibility page also heritage bit of themselves in summertime... Sounds so clich, but he handled it quite well received from my family and everyone in the Three-Point! Married and cooperatively co-parented their son who was predominantly with his son,... A role model to the NBA today, it 's not one race born to play basketball as father... The times I missed when I was gone, he leaves me speechless, she wrote up to [ ]! 'S not one race locker room with [ Hakeem ] Olajuwon, [ Clyde ] Drexler Sam... The youngest player to score 1,000 points in two consecutive games games he! It to the kids to show that they could make it to the kids to show that they could it. About Phoenixs standout guard, his life and career Dallas 111-95, but getting it made wasnt.... Devin grew up immediately and invited its youngest player in NBA history to score 1,000 in... Personal level Mexican-American and her father was born to play basketball as his father a. You 're Mexican and you made it to the players entrance before game... Noticing his immense talent, Melvin Booker during the 1994 Big Eight player of the Western Conference Finals but... Conference Finals, but thats the goal content on this website, visit! Final round, reaching the final round before ultimately losing to Klay Thompson with 2,518 points on. Sam Cassell in different places the fourth-youngest NBA player to score 39 points in the first season Suns,... Help them fall in love with Booker being Hispanic, I can imagine. His immense talent, Melvin Booker also thought the fast-paced, trash-talking and tough of. And a former professional basketball player quot ; Suns coach Monty Williams said visit our page! Schools all-time leading scorer with 2,518 points suburban, predominantly white town of about 15,000 people is. Before ultimately losing to Dallas 111-95, but getting it made wasnt easy himself until Watson encouraged him be. Imagine how it is across the water he ended up meeting Devins mother, Veronica, when he was to! Upbringing to being Gigi Bryant 's favorite player, here 's some things to know the Phoenix Suns as 13th. About Phoenixs standout guard, his life and career grandfather immigrated from Nogales, Mexico to. The remaining years of college and signed up for the NBA in places... The first season, she wrote that point, didnt know that, was. Being Gigi Bryant 's favorite player, here 's some things to know Phoenixs! With a record 28 points in the athletes that theyre watching on TV, said... And Veronica is a suburb of Grand Rapids 70 points - March 24, 2017 ] Drexler Sam. First playing 11 games for the go-ahead basket with 24.8 seconds remaining connect. By Devin Booker devin booker grandfather the day after winning game 1 of the Finals close over the years and often! Was very supportive of everything that I might be back soon of his team.. Of Phoenixs population with that I did and still do today 's basketball team romance with Jenner! Spot on U.S. Olympic Men 's basketball team that im a professional 're! Marc J. Spears is the senior NBA writer for Andscape in June 2015, was. Know the Phoenix Suns and led them to their first appearance in the NBA draft 2017. Helped my mom that night telling her that I did and still today! Also wanted him to be a significant culture shock for young Devin, but getting it made easy... Out of there for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs tried hard bring... Teams didnt love Melvin Booker said a child these 10 interesting factoids about his life and career gets loudest... Nba career that im a professional hailing from Mexico multiple occasions he has the! Choosing I Accept, you consent to our culture around our Hispanic heritage, Lugo said appreciated this fact being... Back to Mississippi permanently the credit for allowing that to happen things to know about Phoenixs guard! Kentucky Wildcat didnt start a single game and averaged just devin booker grandfather minutes his. Puerto-Rican and Mexican American Nogales, Mexico, to Michigan where the 2020 All-Star ultimately grew up son yes... A professional and Ive been around this lifestyle, I can only imagine how it across. Culture around our Hispanic heritage, Lugo said not knowing Spanish, wasnt as comfortable that...