Devin Booker is yet to win an NBA championship, but he played every bit like a world champion in Team USA’s run to the gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Booker, 27, is regarded by most as the best shooting guard in the NBA. He should be welcomed as one of the best players in the world, evident in his team-best, plus-130 plus/minus in 11 games en route to Team USA’s gold-medal finish with its 98-87 win over France on Saturday.
“Devin Booker is an incredible basketball player,” Team USA coach Steve Kerr said unscripted at the end of his postgame press conference on Sunday when the team beat France, 98-87, to capture its fifth straight gold and Booker’s second of his career.
“He was our unsung MVP.”
Booker has been the hero of the Phoenix Suns long before the public – and Kerr – declared him that of his country in the Olympics.
The last time Booker won an Olympic gold, it came after the Suns shockingly lost in the 2021 NBA Finals.
Then 24, Booker, who is still not in the prime years of his basketball journey, tried to carry the Suns to a championship while playing with a hamstring issue.
He came up just short, but Booker played like a superstar. He scored the most points by an NBA player through their first-ever playoff run for a franchise that had only reached a championship series twice before.
The Olympic run with Team USA in 2021 proved to be a pivotal moment for Booker, who now is teammates with Kevin Durant. On Saturday, Durant set an Olympic men’s basketball record by winning his fourth gold medal.
Durant in the summer of 2022 – even after the Suns were eliminated in shocking fashion by the Dallas Mavericks in the conference semifinals – requested a trade to play with Booker. Chris Paul, who was traded to the Suns after the team’s 8-0 stint in the 2020 NBA bubble, had already done the same.
Booker then had also been praised by Los Angeles Lakers superstar and arguably the best men’s basketball player ever, LeBron James, as the most underrated player in the NBA.
If you don’t watch Booker much, you might miss just how special his game is. His scoring is evident, but his IQ is very important to watch.
He will not jump out at you for how high he can jump or how effectively he can handle the basketball. For those who truly study the game of basketball, Booker’s feel for the game is what sets him apart.
Many compare Booker to the great Kobe Bryant. Booker has declared him as one of his mentors and favorite players.
But in his time with Paul, Booker became a scorer and passer. He often has done whatever his team needs him to do, evident in his 40-point triple-double in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Clippers in the Suns’ run to the NBA Finals. With Durant at his side, Booker led all players in the 2023 playoffs in stocks and through nine games became the first player to have at least 300 points in the stretch since Michael Jordan.
He did so and shot 61.7% from the field and 51% from 3-point range while recording 7.4 assists.
The 2023-24 season with the Suns was expected to be Booker’s best. If you look at his stats, they will tell you he had a productive season.
But Booker did something in these Olympics he should have done, arguably, with Durant at his side: play a role. The Suns’ franchise player is regarded by majority owner Mat Ishbia as the best player in the NBA.
However, as Team USA decided, its team ran through Durant, LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Those three are the reason why the USA won gold and escaped a disastrous result compared to expectations.
If Durant is the player the Suns truly believe he is since they traded franchise cornerstones Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson, four unprotected first-round picks and more, he should be the scorer. After all, Booker said he is the point guard on the team.
Booker’s scoring is only one aspect of his game that should be appreciated by the public. Suns fans have long known Booker has been tenacious on the defensive end, something that the world got to see on the biggest stage for international basketball competition.
Booker’s game has picked up notice from CBS Sports reporter Sam Quinn, among others.
Booker still has work to do. For him to be recognized as how great he can be, he needs to win an NBA championship.
The Suns were put in talks as one of the most disappointing NBA teams ever for their lackluster first-round exit. Booker at his position is competing with hungry and fiery guard Anthony Edwards for title as the best.
If Booker continues to play his role, something that he will have to adapt and figure out next to Durant and Bradley Beal, he is well on his way to being recognized as what Kerr identified him to be.
