Devin Booker blew away the Suns by dominating a pre-draft workout, then cursing at them when they tried to stop it early
Booker #Booker
Devin Booker. Matt York/AP Images
Devin Booker dominated a 1-on-1 drill for the Suns during a 2015 pre-draft workout.
When the Suns tried to end the drill, Booker reportedly cursed them out.
Booker has become a franchise superstar for a Suns team now three wins from a championship.
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In a pre-draft workout in 2015, Devin Booker displayed a level of dominance that intrigued the Phoenix Suns.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Suns invited Booker and several other players for a pre-draft workout before the 2015 draft.
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During the workout, the Suns ran a popular drill: one-on-one games, where if the offensive player scores, he stays on the court until he misses, at which point he plays defense. If he gets scored on, a new player cycles in.
Former Suns GM Ryan McDonough told Shelburne that Booker dominated the drill.
“He just kept scoring,” McDonough told Shelburne. “Nobody could stop him. He just kept scoring and scoring to the point that we were like, ‘OK, we’ve seen enough. This is really impressive.'”
McDonough and the Suns staff tried to move on to a new drill, as there was limited time in the workout. That’s when Booker reportedly used a four-letter word to dissuade the Suns from ending his run.
“I think he was 18 at the time,” McDonough told Shelburne. “And for an 18-year-old kid to say ‘F that’ to a group of executives and coaches – we were a little surprised by it. But we also loved it.”
Booker’s dominance may have been enough to sell the Suns – they took him with the 13th pick in the draft.
Since then, Booker has transformed himself into a franchise star for a team that is now just three wins away from a championship. He has averaged over 20 points per game in six of his seven seasons and has become a master scorer from every level. He has also become a crafty pick-and-roll playmaker, and his defense has held up better in these playoffs than critics would have believed early in his career.
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Devin Booker was drafted 13th overall by the Phoenix Suns in 2015. Kathy Willens/AP Images
Early in his career, Booker was accused of being an “empty calorie” scorer – a player who put up impressive offensive stats, but didn’t contribute to winning.
That’s no longer the case. Booker has made the All-Star team the last two years and is averaging 27 points per game in his first-ever postseason run.
Plenty of players have been praised for this unexpected Suns run: Chris Paul for his leadership, Deandre Ayton for his growth on both ends, Jae Crowder for his defensive tenacity. But Booker set the tone over six long years for a Suns team that is close to its first-ever championship.
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