Arizona has been a free agent destination for NBA stars and role players for a couple of reasons in recent years: new ownership led by Mat Ishbia and, of course, the idea of playing alongside Devin Booker on the team. Phoenix Suns.
Booker has earned the respect of his peers across the league through his hard work and study of the game, which has translated into his current status as a full-fledged superstar.
In 2021, the Suns won the Western Conference Finals against the Clippers four games to two, and Chris Paul, who scored 41 points that night, was asked by ESPN’s Rachel Nichols what the main reason he wanted to come to Phoenix was.
“The main reason was the light-skinned guy here, No. 1 Devin Booker. … He’s a dog.”
—Chris Paul explains why he wanted to play for the Suns pic.twitter.com/jcqIqiT3Xp
— ESPN (@espn) July 1, 2021
CP3 is considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, and his words should not be taken lightly.
Fast forward to today, and Kevin Durant is heading into his third season with the Suns after being traded midseason to Phoenix in 2023, proving that in the eyes of the biggest and brightest stars, Devin Booker is someone they wanted to play with.
Oh hey, and they have Bradley Beal entering his second season as a Sun.
And who knows, after the Olympics, maybe there will be another one, maybe someone from the San Francisco Bay Area.
But let’s turn our heads a bit. After all, this is about the evolution of Durant and Booker’s relationship.
Let’s start with KD because he revealed that he’s been following Devin Booker’s game since high school.
In 2017, Durant told the The Bill Simmons Podcast that he and OKC wanted to draft Devin Booker with their 14th pick. But as fate would have it, the Suns selected him with their own 13th pick. It’s one of those “what ifs” in the NBA.
Since then, KD can only watch him from afar and shower him with love whenever he gets the chance.
In 2021, Booker, fresh off a heartbreaking Finals loss, and Durant finally got the chance to team up to play for the USABMNT in Tokyo for the Olympics, and that’s where I believe their friendship blossomed. Here’s what Durant had to say about Booker in one of his press interviews.
Kevin Durant called Devin Booker a “savant” and said Booker carries himself like a 35-year-old veteran. He said Booker’s performance last night showed he’s a versatile player who’s only getting better. pic.twitter.com/JKGl97kq65
— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) August 3, 2021
Fast forward to February 2023. During his introductory press conference with the Suns, Durant once again expressed that he was a huge fan of Booker.
As for Devin Booker, his respect for the legends of the game has always been unwavering. Like KD, Booker showed love and respect for Durant before they were teammates, repeatedly stating that Durant was his favorite player. Now that they have been teammates for almost two years, their bond continues to grow stronger.
There is no precise date to know when their friendship began, but the most striking fact is that they became friends in the most basic way: by respecting each other’s talent. The fans of the Valley and myself in the Philippines are so lucky to see these two playing together and for each other with ‘Phoenix Suns” in their chests, night after night.
Heading into next season, the Suns will once again be reliant on their Big 3, particularly the Durant-Booker duo, and only time will tell if their friendship can translate into a championship.
