It is all about family. Family from day one. Devin Booker started to play the game of basketball because his older brother, Trevor, was very good at it. And he aspired to follow him over the same path. And now, he keeps playing for his family, his four children and a son who is watching every move he makes, every breath he takes, so to speak. “The passion for basketball runs in the family. Trevor played in the NBA for eight years. My mom played basketball. I started when I was very young, watching my oldest brother play and the passion that he had for the game. I kind of just followed it, followed his lead and his role. He made a great career out of it, and I try to do the same.” Now that he is 34, he wants to be a great role model for his kids. “I have four kids, and they look up to me every day, watch everything I do. I have three girls and one boy. And my son is looking at every step that I take along the way. And my path, my journey. And he picks up on everything. Even when I don’t think he’s looking or paying attention, he does. I come home and he talks about certain things that happened, and I’m like, okay, I didn’t know he was watching that. My passion for basketball is instilled within me, but my family is what keeps me going.”
Devin Booker is from South Carolina and stayed there to play at the college level, too, committing to Clemson. And guess what? He played alongside Trevor both in high school and college. “It was very special. It started in high school. He was a senior. I was a freshman. So, we got to play on the same team there. Everything started then. And then it trickled down to college. It was an experience within itself. Like I said, he led the way, and I followed in his footsteps. So just to be able to share the court with him at a certain time, certain moments, was special. Those memories, I’ll hold on to forever.”
At Clemson, Trevor Booker was the big star on the team. He was a power forward, slightly smaller and lighter than his younger brother. During the 2009/10 season, Clemson earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Trevor averaged 15.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game; Devin was coming off the bench. He was a promising freshman, averaging 4.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, a glimpse of things to come. He improved his numbers year after year, becoming a serious pro prospect. Over four seasons at Clemson, his teams made the NCAA Tournament three times. However, they couldn’t make it out of the first round. A bittersweet accomplishment. “Of course, we would have liked to make it farther than we did. But that was also an experience. I wouldn’t say I’m proud of it, but a lot of teams are not able to make it to the NCAA tournament, and we were successful in making it. But of course, we would’ve liked to go further. I think anybody in our shoes would and it was unfortunate that we did not. But we learn from those things.”
While Trevor found his niche in the NBA – he was a first-round pick and spent eventually five seasons with Washington, two more with Utah and finished in 2017/18 with Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Indiana -, Devin went overseas, in France. “It was a bit of a culture shock for me. My first year overseas in France, I was with Nancy. It didn’t really work out well and there was a mutual agreement for me to see if I could fit in another team. So, almost halfway through the season, I transferred to Bourg. And we won the Pro B championship. So, it was a little a little rough at first, but it led to me winning a championship and moving on to Pro A. And I think my career started there.”
“I spent three years in France and was the league’s MVP. I always had the characteristics and the abilities to play in the EuroLeague. It just started a little later than expected”
Devin Booker about his evolution
He spent one more season at Bourg-and-Bresse and then moved to Chalon where he averaged 15.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. He was named the French league MVP. “I spent three years in France, and I think that kind of helped me become who I am today. So, when I moved to Germany and the EuroLeague, playing at that level wasn’t difficult at all. I felt like I was ready before then, before I had the start in the EuroLeague. I was the MVP of the French league before I went to Munich. I always had the characteristics and the abilities to play in the EuroLeague. It just started a little later than expected. But I got my chance, opened up, showed what I was able to do in the EuroLeague and stuck with it ever since.”
Booker played three seasons for Bayern, moved on to Khimki and essentially, he’s been a EuroLeague player since then. “A strong mentality is what it takes to play in the EuroLeague. I think a lot of people can endure the physicality of it, but it takes a strong mental capacity to last for so long overseas. Especially as an American. Being away from family members, friends, people that you used to being with every day, and now you have to leave them behind. So, it takes a strong mentality. But I have my family, my wife and kids are here with me. I think that helps tremendously.”
On top of the mentality, Booker had to develop his game. Everybody knows about his physicality but overtime he became an elite scorer as he showed last season improving tremendously as an outside shooter. “I know what I can do, and I think it started in Chalon when I began shooting the three-ball a little bit. I picked it up a little bit more in Munich. And having the coaches along the way to have the confidence, instilled within me to shoot that ball. The three-ball. So, I would say just playing with the right team and the right coaches and players helped me build that confidence that I needed to actually work on that. And it shows today.” Last season, he converted 38.9 percent of his threes, taking almost three of them per game.
“I like the combination with Josh Nebo. I like playing with other bigs. I can step out and kind of play my game. I had that opportunity with Jan Vesely at Fenerbahce. Josh has definitely the physical capabilities that I have. It is going to be great”
Devin Booker about the Booker-Nebo combo
Now, he is in Milan. “I’m going there free minded, knowing that anything is possible. Of course, I’m going to give it my all and do what I can on the court and help this team, I will provide what I can. And just going out there and giving it my all and seeing how it transpires from that way. I don’t like to put expectations on myself or the team, but I know what I’m capable of doing, and I plan to do that in combination with Josh Nebo. I like that combination. I like playing with other bigs. I can step out and kind of play my game. Play both positions, four and five. It’s always great to have another big, I had that opportunity with Jan Vesely at Fenerbahce. I like playing with another big that’s that has the physical capabilities as I do. Josh definitely has that; it is going to be great playing with him.”
And when they need a tip, they can look at Bryan Dunston. “It is great to have him on the team. He’s a legend. He’s been around far longer than me. I can only imagine the amount of wisdom that he has to help the younger guys, including myself. At his age, he’s still able to do the things that he was doing years ago. He’s someone to look up to.”
