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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

Devin Booker has grown into a household name for Phoenix Suns fans as well as NBA fans. Shining for the Suns for over six years now, Booker has cemented his spot as one of the best shooters of the game at present.

The Shooting Guard is the man to watch out for when opposition teams go head-to-head against the Suns.

Rise of Devin Booker’s career

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Being the son of former NBA player Melvin Booker, the pressure of expectation was always on Devin. Born in October 1996, the Michigan native was a prodigy for the Grandville High School (Michigan) and Moss Point High School (Mississippi).

Following this, Booker played for the University of Kentucky before making it big in the NBA. He averaged 10 points for Kentucky in the 38 games that he played for the college.

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After an impressive run in college basketball, Booker was picked by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft. He thus overlooked the rest of his college career. Booker was selected as the 13th overall pick by the Suns, and made an instant impact. The Phoenix star currently earns approximately $30,00,000 a year.

Jaw-dropping numbers of Devin Booker

In the 2015-16 season, Devin Booker started in 51 games for the Suns, and amassed an average of 13.8 points. As the seasons progressed, the 24-year-old’s statistics only rose. In 2017, the guard shattered records by scoring 70 points in a single game, against the Boston Celtics. Devin Booker’s best seasons in terms of scoring were 2018-19 and 2019-20, where he averaged 26.6 points each. Over time, the Phoenix Suns nurtured Booker into becoming their key pivot.

READ MORE: NBA Finals 2021: Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker Joins Allen Iverson and Stephen Curry in Incredible Record

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Since his mother’s background was Mexican-American, Devin Booker drew attention of many national basketball teams, including Mexico and Puerto Rico (apart from USA). Booker chose to represent the U.S and bloomed in the American colors primarily in 2016. He was picked in the backup USA squad that would train against the 2016 Olympic basketball setup, before being picked for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games basketball side.

Devin Booker was a McDonald’s All-American, which is one of the huge high-school basketball contests. He was part of the NBA All-Rookie team in 2016, and has won the NBA’s 3-point contest in 2018. Furthermore, Booker is a two-time NBA All-Star (in 2020 and 2021). The youngster has a long career ahead of him.

USA Today via Reuters

Devin Booker has a bare minimum of ten years more, to make his mark in the sport. Being so technically sound and having a great mind to read the sport, he is an undeniable asset to basketball and to any side that he plays for. Provided he can stay relatively injury-free, Devin Booker is on course to reach legendary status.

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