When the formation of this year’s star-studded Team USA was merely an idea, Kyle Kuzma questioned if any superstar would be willing to take on a diminished role for the betterment of the team. “I’ll do it.” Devin Booker responded. Being the primary option for the Suns throughout his career, many believed Booker wouldn’t be able to keep his promise. However, he shocked everyone by fully embracing his new role on Team USA and helping them win an Olympic gold. Impressed by Booker’s sacrifice, sharpshooter Damian Lillard applauded the young shooting guard.

During a recent interview, Dame had high praise for Book, “Anytime you look at a guy who’s a superstar player in the league and is humble enough and has a winning mentality, so he’s a star amongst stars.” Then, he addressed the importance of prioritizing team success over personal accolades in a Team USA setting, “Everybody can’t be a star. Everybody can’t have the ball. Everybody can’t score the points. Somebody gotta be willing to play a role and just contribute to what the ultimate goal is.”

Having played for Team USA in the previous Olympics, Lillard immediately understood Booker’s impact, “I thought watching the games, I thought it was extremely obvious that he went into it with that mentality. Like I’m gonna pick guys up, I’m gonna get into the ball, make open shots, I’m gonna compete for the team. I think it takes a special type of person to take that role when there’s so many outside voices and people talking about every little thing, and he definitely did that.”

Having made the promise a year ago, Booker would have faced some heat from the fans had he let them down. Lillard has first-hand experience of his fans turning on him as he was a victim of that betrayal when he demanded a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers for their lack of direction after being loyal to the franchise and the city for eleven years. So, he would not have wanted the same thing to happen to Booker after the Paris trip.

Devin Booker’s risk paid off

With Devin Booker making a huge sacrifice, things could have gone either way for his career. After all, he is used to being the first option and many of his fans would not want to see him in a lesser role. But it did not matter much because Booker managed to make a huge impact in Paris despite the ball not being in his hands very often. Playing alongside legends like LeBron, Steph, and KD, Booker found his place on the team and finished the tournament averaging 11.7 points. Moreover, he was highly efficient in every game shooting 56.5% from the three-point line.

However, what impressed everyone the most was his willingness to defend and do the dirty work while the veteran stars took over. Although Booker did not get much media attention during the tournament, head coach Steve Kerr understood what he brought to the team, “He was our unsung MVP. I just wanted to say that.” More importantly, his Olympics campaign proved that Booker is a team player and that could benefit him in the NBA as his teammates Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal would feel more comfortable sharing the court with him. Do you agree?

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger