Deemed As “Most Adaptable”, Devin Booker Reveals Secret Mission at Paris Olympics Beyond Winning Gold

Team USA continues to dominate at the 2024 Paris Olympics. After setting a perfect 5-0 record at the exhibition games, the star-filled NBA roster also won their recent matchups against Serbia and South Sudan. While LeBron James and Kevin Durant led the scoring effort in both games, Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker was also a significant contributor, even outperforming Stephen Curry during his on-court minutes. Having earned the respect of his head coach Steve Kerr, the Suns’ star recently revealed his side quest.

In a recent presser, Booker spoke about how the city of Phoenix is being represented better than before on the international stage. After all, along with him being on Team USA, the roster also boasts the Suns’ lead scorer Kevin Durant, one of the most experienced Olympians to be a part of the 16x Gold Medal-winning squad.

Furthermore, the women’s basketball squad for Team USA contains three players from WNBA’s 3x championship-winning team Phoenix Mercury. With guard Diana Taurasi, forward Kahleah Copper and center Brittney Griner representing Phoenix, Booker certainly believes that Team USA’s success equally benefits the city. “We got Phoenix all over. We have three on the women’s team also so we’re well represented,” said Devin Booker. “It’s a basketball town and we want to put the city on the map. No better way than winning gold.”

In their recent Olympic games against Japan and Belgium, the trio of Taurasi, Copper, and Griner averaged 1, 4, and 9 points respectively. As for Devin Booker himself, the player has averaged 11 points against Serbia and South Sudan by going 8-12 with his field goals, 5-7 with his three-pointers and 1-1 with his field throws in total. On top of that, the 4x NBA Star has not only been serving on the court as a point guard but also coming up as a reliable on-ball defender and floor spacer.

This is why the USA head coach Steve Kerr feels that Booker has been a valuable addition to the national roster. “He’s probably the guy who has been the most adaptable to go from a different role in the NBA to a new one here,” said Kerr. “He’s adapted to being an on-ball guy, ball mover. The offense clicks when he’s out there, the defense is really good.”

Through his recent stints, Devin Booker has shown that he earns the minutes granted to him. However, even if he doesn’t get the minutes, the player will be completely fine with it. After all, the ongoing Olympic run is for the greater good.

Devin Booker is willing to sacrifice minutes in favor of his other teammates

The Team USA roster currently participating in the Paris Olympics comprises the best that the NBA has to offer. Unfortunately, one issue with possessing a star-filled roster like this is to properly allocate the minutes to the players. After all, being the lead scorers on their domestic franchises, some of them would not be happy to be benched on the international stage. But, Devin Booker is willing to sacrifice if the opportunity calls for it.

During Team USA’s training camp in Las Vegas, the Suns star admitted “You might not touch the ball at all. You might not get into the game, but just being OK with that, being fine with that, and understanding that you’re representing something bigger than you. You’re representing your whole country.”

Devin Booker was amongst the few people on the existing squad who represented his country during the Tokyo Olympics. Being one of the experienced players around, he understands how his role in the national team can be quite different from when he plays for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA. Furthermore, the current squad is quite different than before, with dominant scorers like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Anthony Edwards joining the main lineup. So, Booker is prepared to take a back seat, as long as the squad benefits and secures the fifth consecutive gold medal.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.