By Melissa RohlinFOX Sports NBA Writer As soon as Devin Booker walked into the locker room, he gave FaceTime to his father. The music boomed. His teammates screamed. Boys danced around him. But before Booker celebrated reaching the Phoenix Suns NBA final for the first time in nearly three decades, he had to honor the man who helped him get there. “We just shouted and partied,” Devin’s father Melvin Booker told FOX Sports. “A lot of hard work just paid off.” Basketball has always been part of Devin’s DNA. After playing at the University of Missouri, his father played professionally from 1994 to 2008, with stints in the American minor leagues, the NBA – including 11 games for the Houston Rockets, five for the Denver Nuggets and 16 for the Golden State Warriors – and overseas in Italy, Turkey and Russia. Melvin filled his son with a deep love for the game and its subtleties. As a kid, Devin saw NBA games differently from his peers and focused on the nuances of what was happening on the pitch rather than being amazed by the eye candy of dunks and long 3-pointers. But Melvin didn’t realize how unique his son was until Devin was churned up as a teenager in 2008 when the Detroit Pistons Chauncey Billups exchanged for the Denver Nuggets to acquire Allen Iverson, one of the league’s biggest superstars at the time. He didn’t go for the flashy game, “said Melvin. “He chose the easy game. He understood how important Chauncey would be to a team. I knew then that a child was 11 or 12 years old and I understand that, I thought this kid understood basketball. ”Devin was always incredibly smart. He was talented. But his work ethic wasn’t up to date. Melvin finally decided he needed to step in and train him. When Devin was 14, Melvin said he turned down a two-year offer to play in Italy because he wanted to help his son reach the next level. Melvin and Devin’s mother, Victoria Gutierrez, was never married, and she and Devin lived in Michigan. Melvin convinced her that Devin should move to Mississippi for his sophomore year to attend his father’s former high school, Moss Point, while Melvin helped make Devin a great player. That changed everything for Devin, I was always a student of the game, but I wasn’t aware of the work that was in it, “Devin said.” So I was always good, but he made me go the extra mile . He pushed me. I had never been pushed before. I was never told the truth. Someone who tells the truth from the heart, from the kindness, to see that you are successful, you can feel it. So you want to get better every day. “For the latest Suns news, click here to register for notifications on the FOX Sports app! Melvin became an assistant coach at Moss Point High. After training, he spent hours telling Devin to help perfect his shooting and dribbling skills. Then they went to the weight room before returning home late at night for dinner together. Devin was ready to do anything to get better. He listened to that His father’s advice. He followed his regime. He even surprised his father with the sacrifices he was willing to make. “Do you know how hard it is to remove bad food from a 14-year-old’s diet?” Said Melvin. “But he was all in. He never said anything about it. He just took whatever came on his plate.” The gym became their haven. There they spoke a common language. It brought them together after they had lived apart for much of Devin’s childhood while Melvin played ball to support his mother, brother, sister, and son. Melvin Booker, left, plays in a Euroleague basketball playoff game in Greece in 2007. Booker played in four international finals, but lost all four. (Photo by Pavlos Makridis / Euroleague Basketball / Getty Images) Father and son cherished their time together. Melvin trained his favorite player in the world. Devin received professional coaching from someone he loved as a teenager. “It was a way for us to connect and make up for lost time,” said Melvin. “My passion for the game, his passion for the game, we just got on the pitch and that’s one of the best feelings in the world.” Devin’s skills blossomed. As a senior at Moss Point, he averaged 32.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He then helped lead the Kentucky Wildcats to a 38-1 record and the Final Four in 2014-15 before being selected by the Suns as the 13th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. When Monty Williams took the Suns head coaching job in 2019, he immediately noticed that Booker was physically and mentally mature beyond his years. Not only was his game smooth and effortless, but his attitude was very different from that of most other players in their early 20s. “He got the cheat code because of his father,” said Williams. “When he got into the league he was able to succeed because of the preparation and the foundation Melvin laid in his life as a basketball player, as a man, giving him discipline, structure, like an NBA day, what a college looks like Day. These experiences and knowledge are difficult to quantify. I know when I see it. ” Devin, now 24, has become a weapon almost everywhere on the field. He’s a shooting guard who can do 3s, he has a silky midrange jumper, and he’s not afraid to drive and mix things up in depth. Every off-season he trains with his father and tweaks his game to become the deadliest version of himself. He has drawn comparisons to former Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant because of his explosiveness and ability to effortlessly take on games by effortlessly creating his own shot. That season, Devin averaged 25.6 points on 48.4% shooting, which helped the Suns hit the second-best record in the Western Conference at 51:21. But for all his success, Devin has always been underrated, so much so that Lakers superstar LeBron James called him “the most disrespectful player” in the league after being overlooked as a reserve for the All-Star team. (He later made the team to replace Anthony Davis.) Melvin is dedicated to changing that narrative. Before the playoffs, he had a long talk with Devin after finding out that the Suns were rounding the first game against defending champions Lakers. Melvin knew the world would watch his son react against James and Davis. This was Devin’s chance to build his name. “This is where you can begin your legacy,” said Melvin. Devin put in a 30-point performance in the first two playoff games of his career, followed by a spectacular 47-point performance in Game 6 of the series to send the Lakers off for the summer break. For more breaking news around the NBA click here to register for notifications on the FOX Sports app! Melvin has been to every home game his son made, and he’s so invested that he has developed some superstitions about following Devin on the road. After the Suns lost Game 3 to the Lakers at the Staples Center, Melvin felt a sinking feeling in his stomach that told him not to be in the arena for Game 4. Devin said, “Yo, I have to go back home. I don’t feel that right now. We lost ” [Game] 3 ‘”said Melvin.” And then I come home, sit on my couch and watch the game, and we win game 4. And now my superstitions are going crazy. It was like that. “Regardless of where he watches, Melvin always analyzes his son’s game through the lens of a coach. After the Suns’ disappointing loss in Game 5 to the LA Clippers in a possible play-off in the final of the Western Conference in Phoenix , Devin called his father as he was driving home to know what he could have done better, Melvin pointed out that the Clippers guard Patrick Beverley was very aggressive on defense and suggested that the The pace of opening the floor could be more aggressive and gain space by speeding up the game instead of letting him slow down the game, “Melvin told his son. Devin and his teammates responded by playing much faster in Game 6, scoring 130 points to move into the finals for the franchise’s first game since 1993. A dream come true for Melvin. Devin Booker hopes to get the ultimate trophy in 2021 Get your hands on NBA. (Photo by Adam Pantozzi / NBAE via Getty Images) NBA cham championship in its playoff debut. Devin continued to shine on the biggest stages, scoring at least 30 points in seven games. And his confidence has skyrocketed, which Melvin noticed in his son’s pregame routine. “I’m watching everything,” said Melvin. “I watch the bounce he has, the ball to the music and I’ll say, ‘Yeah, it’s time.’ He’ll be looking at me right before the game, right after the performance. We nod to each other. That’s the best feeling as a parent. “On the way to the finals, Melvin has another superstition. Despite the overwhelming pride he perceives his son’s success, he is still not fully venting it. He played in four finals abroad and lost them all. He knows better than anyone that his son’s job is not finished yet. But Melvin hopes Devin is only four wins away from seeing him out of a lively locker room again from FaceTiming. He is already preparing to be like himself that moment would feel to my emotions when we grab the Larry O’Brien trophy, “he said. Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously reported on the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group, and the San Antonio Express News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin. Get More From The National Basketball Association Follow your favorites for information on games, news, and more.
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