Im finally to the age where I realize I can ask questions and shes breaking it all down to me, Booker, 23, said. Down to just people saying Kobe when they shoot a piece of trash in the garbage. I havent gotten around to it yet, but thats the goal. 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. 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. With Booker's help, his younger half-sister, who has microdeletion syndrome, will be a Special Olympics worldwide ambassador in 2020. The idea for the flag came during an Xbox night between Lugo and his friends right after the Suns swept the Nuggets in the second round. 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. Were going to see him do and be more involved in our community.. Noting Bookers Mexican heritage is part of thatbut its also a responsibility Ochoa feels on a personal level. As the Valleys oldest and most historic professional sports team, the Phoenix Suns have continuously strived to represent and connect with the surrounding Hispanic community that makes up the largest demographic in Phoenix. I still have mixed feelings about it, Gutierrez wrote. Devin and his father were around each other daily for the first time. In the next game, Devin scored 19 points against TexasArlington to set a new season-high score. After having Devin in 1996, she was often the one to spend time with him when Melvin traveled in different countries for his professional basketball career. As Booker has become more outspoken about his heritage, he has begun to see the younger Hispanic community embrace him as an inspiration and reach out to him to show their support and admiration. He did eventually make it to the NBA, first playing 11 games for the Houston Rockets during the 1995-96 season. With Booker being Hispanic, I think it just opens the eyes to our culture around our Hispanic heritage, Lugo said. His father played professional basketball in the NBA and overseas, and Booker spent his summers in Italy when his father was playing for Olimpia Milano. Before his senior season, Devin narrowed his final college choices to his dads alma mater, Missouri, as well as Michigan, Michigan State, and Kentucky. This city deserves it, Booker said. After the passing of his grandfather, Booker made it an emphasis to get intact. He stated that he fully . 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. Music booms through two speakers as a DJ and a hype man practice their lines, but the area is virtually deserted. When I dropped my son off at school, it was the first time, and he was 15 years old, Melvin Booker said. The brothers got their Suns fandom from their father, who came to love the team during the Seven Seconds or Less era. Melvin Booker got to break a sweat on a few NBA teams but mostly played overseas in Turkey, Russia and Italy. 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. Finding a place that was willing to make the flag, however, proved more difficult. Devin visited his father during his summer holidays, in Moss Point, Mississippi, a place that had a significant black population. His voice rings into his microphone as Booker hits a tough shot, which Ochoa describes in detail before punctuating the play with his go-to description for the Suns star: El hombre con herencia hispana! The man with Hispanic heritage. This sounds so clich, but it really hasnt set in with me. When you ask people around Phoenix when they became aware of Bookers Mexican heritage, everyone has a different answer: the 2017 game the Suns played in Mexico, or the one in 2019; through the video the team put out for National Hispanic Heritage Month last year; or just this past season, as the Suns became one of the best teams in the league and Booker became an even bigger star. 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. Me knowing Devin, hes going to continue to work hard and continue to try to get better.. Im in a position where Im coming into now, where I understand how important it is. 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]. 13 overall pick to leading superstar for the Phoenix Suns. Melvin Booker, his African-American father, played for the Continental Basketball Association Grand Rapids Mackers during the 1995-96 season. The two hit it off, and a year later, Devin was born. Hes learning a lot. Sometimes I would call and ask him, What did you do after practice? 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. To see it turn out the way it turned, the process is quicker than he expected and now to see him having the success hes having on this level is amazing. With this, he became the third player in NBA history to achieve the feat. Read Kevin OConnors grades of every first-round pick. RELATED: Devin Booker wins season-long NBA Community Assist Award for local outreach, I knew that he was going to take us far.. Im in the middle of it right now, Im not trying to get too excited but playing competitive basketball is something thats keeping me going right now., Gutierrez doesnt want Booker to feel any pressure to do any more than he already is. College basketball was to play a crucial role in shaping Devins future as a star basketball player. Most of the time with breaking records and such, he leaves me speechless, she wrote. Hed let them have the seats he got in his contract and then try to help them fall in love with Booker. 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. It was special. Eventually, Melvin ended his career to return home to coach his high school team and focus on his son. Being here in Phoenix has made me aware of living in the culture.. A post shared by Devin Booker (@dbook) on Jun 19, 2017 at 5:27pm PDT. Devin Booker's sister, Mya Powell, has always been in the limelight for her bond with the NBA player. 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. That was the only reason I put Devin there. Mac McClung checking his new followers. I always say Im fortunate enough to live around it, see it around the stands, and see it around the city. Its 11 p.m. on the night before Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals, and the space in front of Phoenix Suns Arena is brightly lit. In a. 1 / 3. He finished his three-year career as the schools all-time leading scorer with 2,518 points. In June 2015, he was selected by the Phoenix Suns as the 13th overall pick. RELATED: Devin Booker accepts spot on U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team. Latin-American ambassador: Bookers maternal grandfather was an immigrant from Nogales, Mexico, a fact Booker has grown to appreciate even more since being drafted by Phoenix. Latino fans, in particular, lit up when they saw it. The shooting ability was already there. My journey and my path, I hope it opens up something in their minds to let them know that they're capable of doing exactly what I've done, Booker said. 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. In March, Devin scored 34 points against Miami Heat to achieve yet another career milestone and his careers best performance to date. I think when youre young, you dont really understand it that much. The love was always there. A lot of them, at that point, didnt know that Booker was of Mexican descent, Ochoa said. After the passing of his grandfather, Booker made it an emphasis to get intact with his heritage and the surrounding Valley community gave him the perfect environment to do so. As a father, hed do anything I wanted to do. Booker's grandfather immigrated from Nogales, Mexico, to Michigan where the 2020 All-Star ultimately grew up. He made the 2016 NBA all-rookie first team, quickly earned a reputation as one of the NBAs top shooters and is the Suns leading scorer. Of course, her being my mother, she said, Just let me know when [youre] coming back. I would definitely, my moms rice, her sopa, cheese, and the tortillas, that's all you need, said Elena Beltran. With his fathers influence, Devin naturally fell in love with the game of basketball as a child. Devin Bookers Dating History: All About His 2-Year Romance With Kendall Jenner & Past Loves. 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. So hes won the people of Phoenix over, especially the Latino community.. Melvin Booker of the Missouri Tigers dribbles the court during a game against the Kansas Jayhawks. But draft night was one of the worst nights of my life., Said Devin Booker: I could tell he is still kind of hurt by it.. Watched sports together. Paolo Banchero leads the way as the Kia Rookie of the Year chase begins to head for the finish line. Melvin Booker also believed that his son would grow as a person from being at a school where most students didnt have his blessings. The Suns, including owner Robert Sarver, spoke out against the bill and wore their Los Suns jerseys in solidarity with the community. You have the same issues and same problems you have at most urban schools. Something went wrong. But Devin didnt want to leave his mom and his friends. I was trying to make up for the times I missed when I was gone.. A Draft lottery pick in 2015, Devin Booker has elevated himself from No. However, the matter did not do much damage to his career. Davon is the eldest brother of an American basketball player Devin Booker who plays for Phoenix Suns. In February 2017, he scored 31 points against the Milwaukee Bucks and became the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 20 points in 16 consecutive games. On multiple occasions he has referenced the cultures strong family ties, something he has inherited and embraced in his own life. Gerardo was at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport two weeks ago when the team returned from Los Angeles after clinching a Finals berth, and he recalls fans chanting Si se puede (Yes, we can) as the players walked through. Devin ended the season with an average of 22.1 points per game. He always helped my mom out when she was in need, which was really important for me. In the 1990s, Latinos made up just 20 percent of Phoenixs population. Mya supports her brother during the matches and is an inspiration to Devin. Gutierrez and her son said yes before his sophomore season. . 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. His father was a brilliant young NBA player when he met Veronica during on one of his tours for the Continental Basketball Association.. In a March 2018 game against Oklahoma City Thunder, he scored 39 points. The Lakers legend laughed about that sequence in postgame comments to the media, but he shared a private moment with Booker himself. Hikaru has been surpassed for the number one spot on Chess.com's Blitz global leaderboard. Booker's traces his Latino roots back to his maternal grandfather, who was born in a border town named Nogales in Mexico. I felt like and thought I would be drafted. Id do anything for them. Devin Booker collected the 2018 Three-Point Contest title. With his mom and dad sitting next to him in the 2015 NBA draft green room, Devin was selected with the 13th overall pick by the Suns last year. I'm sick of hearing this kind of bullshit misinformation get spread by brainless cretins that, frankly, I'm surprised could even type on their keyboard. Let these kids know that, especially with the NBA today, it's not one race. Bookers grandfather immigrated from Nogales, Mexico, to Michigan where the 2020 All-Star ultimately grew up. During the 1995-96 season with Grand Rapids, the basketball player met a remarkable young woman named Veronica. After splitting from Melvin, Veronica went on to have her third child, daughter Mya Powell, who reportedly has chromosome 22 deletion syndrome. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, INTERACTIVE RADAR: Tracking winter storm in Arizona. I had to convince them that he had to move to Mississippi if he wanted to move to that next level, Melvin Booker said. Devin, a three-time NBA All-Star, is a professional . To capitalize on his popularity after those performances, Booker worked out deals with Nike and Zucaritas, the Mexican version of Frosted Flakes, to make a few return trips. I think growing up, were usually in one part of the country, one region, the Midwest, West Coast kids, or from the south. 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. We feel like we have to go even more above and beyond to get him the proper respect that we believe he deserves.. Heres a look at 10 things to know about Phoenixs standout guard, his life and his NBA career. I didnt like it all, Devin Booker said. lxkandel06 22 days ago. The Suns cut the deficit to 10 before ultimately falling 130-120, but not before Booker became the youngest player in league history to hit the 70-point mark. From his seat inside a suite at Phoenix Suns Arena, Arturo Ochoa can barely hear himself think. At just 20 years old, Devin Booker became the youngest NBA player to record a 70-point game. As of early 2021, Davon has an estimated net worth of around $500 thousand. Get to know the Phoenix Suns' young superstar with these 10 interesting factoids about his life and career. That made me want to learn about myself much more honestly because I just hadn't been around. Everywhere we went, everyone knew him. It was tough, Devin Booker said. Its very surreal. Devin Booker 2015-16 Panini Complete Rookie RC #296 Phoenix Suns Pre-Owned $20.00 Seller: matts_cardz (12,281) 100% Buy It Now +$4.95 shipping Sponsored 2015-16 Panini Gold Standard DEVIN BOOKER RC Jersey /149 BGS 9 w/ 10 AUTO RPA $349.95 Seller: meets2 (955) 99.6% or Best Offer +$3.95 shipping Authenticity Guarantee 13 watchers Sponsored When the same thing happened in 2021, LeBron James, via social media, proclaimed Booker the most disrespected player in our league., Devin Booker pours in 47 points in Game 6 win. She reportedly worked as a cosmetologist and already had a son named Davon Wade when she met Devin's father in her hometown of Grand Rapids. Their goal was to have it ready for Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, but getting it made wasnt easy. This is a good life here in the NBA. One fan I encountered just before Game 2 said she researched Bookers heritage after seeing his face, doing a double take, and saying, Esa cara no se ve gringa (That face doesnt look gringa). 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