Get to know the Utah Jazz's young superstar with these 10 interesting factoids about his life and career. The son of former basketball player Melvin Booker, [3] Devin is a three-time NBA All-Star and helped the Suns reach the NBA Finals 2021. But there was always a connection, a warmth, pleasantries, between the two. He was the 1994 Big Eight Player of the Year and after impressing on the court, he was elected to the intercollegiate athletics Hall of Fame at theUniversity of Missouri. If you count him as a Mexican, which Im going to do and I think a lot of us will, hes the best Mexican basketball player ever, said Mike Vigil, a third-generation Mexican American who hosts a Suns podcast called The Timeline. Slowly but surely, though, Bookers awareness ofand appreciation forthe culture around him has become more evident. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/devin-booker-37685.php. He made his professional NBA debut against the Dallas Mavericks two days before his 19th birthday. He joined Wilt Chamberlain, David Robinson, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor and Kobe Bryant as the only ones to score that many points in a single game. Devin Booker said most of the communication when his dad was overseas was through e-mail, which was frustratingly sporadic due to the time difference. Macias has seen Mexican-influenced murals of Booker and the Suns pop up around the city, including one the Suns commissioned with Los Suns jerseys and players painted as Dia de los Muertosstyle skeletons. Learn more about the Hall of Fame career of the legendary point guard. The painting, according to Doctor, is hanging in the Bookers gym. The Suns are back in Mexico City this weekend to take on the Spurs again but the team and Booker are in different places. Watson is half-Mexican, from his mothers side, and, according to Ochoa, was always proud of that fact. Lugo, who had draped the flag around his back, was trying to get to his seats in the 200 level, but he kept getting interrupted by people asking to take a picture of the flag. Some of my favorite times as a child was my mom whipping up, you know, original Mexican dishes that she learned from her father or when we got the chance to visit my grandpa on the weekend.. Twenty-four-year-old Gerardo Gutirrez and his brother, 20-year-old German Gutirrez, are two of the few people there, sipping the last drops of their Dutch Bros iced coffee and taking pictures of the stadium marquee signaling that their team is hosting an NBA Finals. Of course, her being my mother, she said, Just let me know when [youre] coming back. There was a family legacy at Moss Point as Devins father and grandfather also attended the high school. A native of Cananea, Sonora, a city four and a half hours south of Phoenix in Mexico, Ochoa has been calling Suns games since 2004. In January 2017, he scored 39 points against both the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs. With that, he became the youngest player in NBA history to score 39 points in two consecutive games. Were proud of him and knowing that hes also of the same heritage, Mexicano, you add some extra cheering, said Elena Beltran. With his fathers influence, Devin naturally fell in love with the game of basketball as a child. I appreciate my dad actually telling me to make the move. Melvin Booker also thought the fast-paced, trash-talking and tough style of basketball would make his son better, too. Ochoa believes that Earl Watson, the Suns coach for parts of three recent seasons, is a big part of the reason Booker began embracing the culture. Originally from Mississippi, he became a great player in high school before getting signed to play for the University of Missouri. They mostly talked about and bonded through basketball. Thats how one of Bookers representatives saw Piersten Doctor, a Navajo painter, working on a portrait of Booker last month. Maybe its my Mexican roots, Booker said with a smile when he was asked how he was able to put up 39 points in back-to-back games there. Noting Bookers Mexican heritage is part of thatbut its also a responsibility Ochoa feels on a personal level. After his first day of high school in Mississippi, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker had his dad quite worried that he was going to pack his bags to go back to Michigan. I fell in love with the city. The 2014 McDonalds All-American selection averaged 30.9 points per game in his senior season. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Even then, he still dedicated portions of his post-practice routine to footwork and shot-making on the block. Devin once ran into controversy when he asked a fans girlfriend to sit on his lap. The Godfather game for PS3 @NikeMcDonalds . By Vrushali Padia Published Mar 19, 2022. Everyone wants to see a little bit of themselves in the athletes that theyre watching on TV, Vigil said. I think its a combination of growing older and being exposed to more culture, Gutierrez wrote. He believed that his relationship with his son would grow, too, if he finally had him by his side. But now that Im a professional and Ive been around this lifestyle, I understand how hard it is. Some of my favorite times as a child was my mom whipping up her original Mexican dishes that she learned from her father, or when we got the chance to visit my grandpa on the weekends in his city and having him cook for us, Booker said. As a father, hed do anything I wanted to do. Let these kids know that, especially with the NBA today, it's not one race. To let you know, Devin's maternal grandfather was one of the immigrants from Nogales, Mexico. I was with my family back home. After Devins birth, they decided that they would both take care of Devin, but he mostly stayed with his mother, as his father remained busy with his international basketball career. Just around the corner from the Latino Arts and Cultural Center mural in downtown Phoenix stands the actual center, which is a hub of paintings, models, and sculptures displaying different aspects of Latino culture. Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this piece incorrectly stated that Bookers grandfather was born in Nogales, Mexico; he was born in Los Nogales. For a mother to just let her son move with a father I didnt spend much time with She raised me most of my life. Kendall and Devin rekindled their two-year romance last month following a short-lived breakup. Get to know the Phoenix Suns' young superstar with these 10 interesting factoids about his life and career. I think I gained kind of a following there.. Gerardo can rattle off facts about Booker like he's a walking Wikipedia page: Booker's mom is Mexican American, and his grandfather was born in Los Nogales, Mexico, a town near the Texas. I dont think any kid can just make that move that I made but I understood the goal that was at hand and I just embraced the Mississippi culture, you know, the inner city and it was good for me, Booker said. Symbolic start: After being drafted 13th overall, Bookers NBA debut took place in Phoenix on Oct. 28, 2015. NoseBlind2 22 days ago. It was his mother, Veronica Gutierrez's hometown, and his father, Melvin Booker, who played for CBA's Grand Rapids Hoops. Hed play video games with me. He stated that he fully . Division I colleges were already pursuing him. This sounds so clich, but it really hasnt set in with me. In a. I didnt like it all, Devin Booker said. Vigil remembers Booker showing up to an All-Star Week event in 2019 in a pair of baggy chinos, a black flannel buttoned up all the way to the top, Chicano style, and an old-school camcorder in his hand. Devin Booker is part Puerto Rican from his mothers side, and this qualifies him to play for the national Puerto Rican team if he desires to do so. Devin averaged 30.9 points per game as a senior despite being double- and triple-teamed during the 2013-14 season at Moss Point. A couple of things that I learned from my grandfather were about the hard work and dedication to a craft. Down to just people saying Kobe when they shoot a piece of trash in the garbage. The idea for the flag came during an Xbox night between Lugo and his friends right after the Suns swept the Nuggets in the second round. Like Devin, Melvin spent many years as a professional basketball player. Hed let them have the seats he got in his contract and then try to help them fall in love with Booker. His grandfather was an immigrant from Nogales, Mexico where he and his family stayed for decades. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. The only real time with communication I had with him were the two to three months out of the year when I would go down to Mississippi [in the summer]. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. While going back to Michigan did get strong consideration, Devin Bookers perseverance not only led to an NBA career but also a close bond with father. I dont know if its because he has Mexican blood, but he has a special charisma that translates without any words being exchanged and translates in his game because he always plays passionately. He ended up at the fourth spot in the race for the 2016 Rookie of the Year award. Like father, like son, Melvin was also a basketball player at the University of Missouri. Devin Bookers Dating History: All About His 2-Year Romance With Kendall Jenner & Past Loves. After having Devin in 1996, she was often the one to spend time with him when Melvin traveled in different countries for his professional basketball career. Most people have been doing that all their kids life. It's Hispanic Heritage Month. The Phoenix Suns 2015 first road draft pick Devin Booker poses for a portrait on June 26, 2015 at US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Join. I felt like and thought I would be drafted. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. He finished his three-year career as the schools all-time leading scorer with 2,518 points. Booker 's parents met while father Melvin played semi-professional basketball for the local. His completed his first season at the university with an average of 10 points and was sure about earning a respectable place in the NBA draft which was just around the corner. Theyve been Suns fans since they were little and growing up in South Phoenix, and they have faint memories of the Steve Nashled teams of the mid-2000s, as well as fresher memories of the Suns drafting and building a team around Devin Booker. A shooting guard, Booker received a star status after being the 13th overall draft and being selected by Phoenix Suns. 18. Melvin Booker, his African-American father, played for the Continental Basketball Association Grand Rapids Mackers during the 1995-96 season. The two hit it off, and a year later, Devin was born. I remember him as a little kid and all he talked about is that he wanted to be a professional basketball player, Melvin Booker said. I guess he has 2 dads. Melvin Booker also believed that his son would grow as a person from being at a school where most students didnt have his blessings. I dont think a lot of people understand how somebody from Alabama or Mississippi was raised. . He would say, So you want me to practice for two hours and then you want to do more stuff? I said, Thats what you need to be great. I kind of knew he didnt have an idea, so thats when he came to me.. Latino fans, in particular, lit up when they saw it. Did you get to the weight room?, He didnt understand. Now, with Booker on the team, they have something even more singular to cheer for: an NBA superstar who, at least in one way, is actually like them. The Suns just in general, the whole Valley is behind the Suns, said Beltran. I think for those of us that are Hispanic, there is even another layer to that. Its a feeling like no other. I meet a lot of people around the basketball business that talk about him like, People may not know who your father is, but he could hoop, Devin Booker said. After being cut by the Atlanta Hawks in training camp, Booker played five games with the Denver Nuggets and 16 games with the Golden State Warriors during the 1996-97 season. But living around it and the culture and getting to see it day to day is a lot better. Mexican blood like you? Ochoa said in Spanish. In a March 2018 game against Oklahoma City Thunder, he scored 39 points. Everywhere we went, everyone knew him. The 1994 Big Eight Conference Player of the Year averaged 18.1 points, 4.5 assists and two 3-pointers per game during his senior season. In his first seven Summer League games, Devin averaged more than 15 points per game and proved his mettle. It increases the fandom, just because its someone you can relate to, said Jason Macias, a lifelong Suns fan who is a third-generation Mexican American. Devin Booker remembers hopping in the car with his mother, Veronica Gutierrez, as she took a more than two-hour drive from their home in the suburbs of Grand Rapids, Mich., to Detroit to spend time with his Papa. The following season, he was named to the All-NBA First Team and helped lead the Suns to a franchise record of 64 wins. Bryant noticed the young Booker as well, especially when he tried to use one of his own patented post moves against him in Bryants last career game at Phoenix in 2016. For sure, Booker said. 1 / 3. While in high school, Devin exhibited his remarkable sporting talent. Devin played basketball with his dad and his friends. Doctor said it wouldnt be his best work, but hed do it. They played video games together. The lowrider car is one of the fixtures of Chicano culture, having originated in East Los Angeles in the 1940s, and on the night Phoenix went up 2-0, a mini caravan of those cars driven by Suns fans paraded down 2nd Street, honking and playing Spanish language music. His father played professional basketball in the NBA and overseas, and Booker spent his summers in Italy when his father was playing for Olimpia Milano. and people say this sub is not woke enough. His stunning performance in his rookie season earned praises from basketball legends such as Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. Booker was too young to fully understand the significance of the visits, since communications with his grandfather, Jesus Gutierrez, were stunted by a language barrier Devin spoke no Spanish, Papa got by with some broken English. While Devin grew up, his fathers lifestyle influenced him greatly. Devin Booker collected the 2018 Three-Point Contest title. Did you get extra shots up? Melvin Booker played in the American minor leagues for the Hartford Hellcats and Pittsburgh Piranhas and had two stints with Grand Rapids. Ive been here, putting my head down, grinding, you know, these past five years, trying to get to this point, to at least give them competitive basketball. Gerardo was at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport two weeks ago when the team returned from Los Angeles after clinching a Finals berth, and he recalls fans chanting Si se puede (Yes, we can) as the players walked through. Finding a place that was willing to make the flag, however, proved more difficult. Devin spent his early years in Grandville, Michigan, which was a suburb of Grand Rapids. The Latino community says they will stand behind him. It was better for my life.. Being here in Phoenix has made me aware of living in the culture.. During the 1995-96 season with Grand Rapids, the basketball player met a remarkable young woman named Veronica. "I usually keep it Chevy, you know . If youre Mexican and you made it to the NBA, I can too, So, just trying to inspire in that type of way and keep representing the heritage. In the 1990s, Latinos made up just 20 percent of Phoenixs population. Devin Booker scored 24 points, Deandre Ayton had 22 and Chris Paul added 18 for Phoenix. As Booker has embraced his Latino side, those whove long followed his career have seen incremental changes to everything from the way he dresses to what he drivesmuch of which seems to be a hat tip to this culture. At just 20 years old, Devin Booker became the youngest NBA player to record a 70-point game. Melvin Booker, however, believed that Moss Point High would benefit from his sons presence on and off the court. He taught his son to shoot with the correct form. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Interest-Based Ads. When Booker was 20, Kevin Durant said on The Bill Simmons Podcast that he wanted the Thunder to draft Booker in 2015. Now, shes his biggest fan. Devin Booker scored a franchise-record and NBA season-high 70 points on March 24, 2017. Devin Booker was born on October 30, 1996, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Devin Booker got "Be Legendary" tatted on him. They never married but dated for many years and had Devin, Melvins only child, in 1996. He was just a really caring guy, Booker said of his grandfather in a recent telephone conversation with The Athletic. At first, just being out of your comfort zone was a thing for me. Apart from this, her rare medical condition called Chromosomal Deletion Syndrome has also drawn more attention. But it was also quite challenging to build a relationship with his son from afar despite a couple of visits overseas. Devin Booker was the leading offensive force on the Phoenix Suns and led them to their first appearance in the Finals since 1993. Try a week on us. When I dropped my son off at school, it was the first time, and he was 15 years old, Melvin Booker said. Im around [Latino culture] every day, Booker said the day after winning Game 1 of the Finals. I was with the Rockets for the minute. Sometimes I would go up to [Michigan] to watch him. This season was to mark his fifth appearance in the competition before ultimately pulling out due to injury. This city deserves it, Booker said. In August 2011, Devin scored 17 points in the fifth game of the season, against Gulfport High School. His score was higher than the rest of his team combined. If you have a dream and you have the work ethic to match that dream, anything is possible.. A post shared by Devin Booker (@dbook) on Jun 19, 2017 at 5:27pm PDT. From 1997-2008, Melvin Booker made a living playing most notably in Italy with stints in Turkey and Russia. His father was a brilliant young NBA player when he met Veronica during on one of his tours for the Continental Basketball Association.. Post player first:Being tall for his age, Booker actually played significant minutes in the post as a kid before ultimately becoming a shooting guard. Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker appear to be taking their relationship to the next level after a recent video showed the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star meeting Devin's grandmother. Im in a position where Im coming into now, where I understand how important it is. Also, being the support for your family and being the backbone of your family and how important that is.. Only two photos of him exist in the leagues Getty/NBAE archives. It takes a powerful woman to do that. He ended up meeting Devins mother, Veronica, when he was playing for the Grand Rapids Mackers in the 1995-1996 CBA season. Booker is introduced last among the starters during Suns games; he gets the loudest cheers, and his jerseys are ubiquitous. And it seems as if things have gotten serious to the point where Devin Booker, 24, wanted his supermodel girlfriend Kendall Jenner, 25, to meet his grandma in Moss Point, Mississippi . RELATED: Devin Booker wins season-long NBA Community Assist Award for local outreach, I knew that he was going to take us far.. Every day has been a learning process for me. He convinced Gutierrez and Devin on a move to Mississippi before his sophomore year in high school so that he could be trained and prepared to play at a big-time college. The lack of representation within the league has encouraged Booker to carry the mantle for people of Mexican heritage. Spin: Booker led the Suns in . 2023 ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Even after having a really long playoff run, Devin Booker wasn't . He always shot with the perfect form, Melvin Booker said. The relationship foundered after Devin's birth, and Veronica raised their son as a single mom while Melvin played international basketball in Europe. He was very supportive of everything that I did and still do today. Melvin Booker also believed that his son would grow as a person from being at a school where most students didn't have his blessings. Booker has also recently started driving old-school cars and lowriders to games. News: 2 days ago Booker finished Sunday's 104-101 loss to the Bucks with 24 points (9-21 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 5-9 FT), four rebounds and eight assists over 38 minutes.. Melvin Booker gave strong credit to Gutierrez for doing a great job of keeping me connected while he was playing professional basketball and allowing him to get off-season time with his only child. Devin and Mya have become very close over the years and hes often seen sharing sweet moments with her. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Veronica is a Mexican-American and her father was born in Mexico. After having Devin in 1996, she was often the one to. A post shared by Devin (@dbook) Booker's collection features a first-generation Chevy Blazer with a lowered stance, top removed and a blue patina exterior. The 24-year-old Lugo had the one of the most coveted pieces of memorabilia in the house: a custom-made Mexican flag with a Suns logo in place of the shield, and Bookers face plastered on a prayer candle. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, who is serving a 25-game suspension for getting caught using a diuretic. Playing in Russia with the time difference it would be 3 in the morning there and the middle of the day for us. But we did the best that we could.. He called his opportunity a blessing because he was able to see the world. I shared a locker room with [Hakeem] Olajuwon, [Clyde] Drexler and Sam Cassell.. Everyone loved him.. So, that's my job.. I see that as a wink to us because I think he knows thats how we dress. Devin visited his father during his summer holidays, in Moss Point, Mississippi, a place that had a significant black population. Spend some time in Phoenixespecially latelyand that last sentiment rings true. Weve already felt the need to defend him for five or six years, because of the trajectory of his career and the way he was talked about early on, Vigil said. I think the moment everybody found out that I had Mexican in my bloodline, I got on social media and started seeing younger kids of the Hispanic descent reaching out to me and saying, 'You're my favorite player. We feel like we have to go even more above and beyond to get him the proper respect that we believe he deserves.. RELATED: Devin Booker accepts spot on U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team. Devin, a three-time NBA All-Star, is a professional . This particular remark carries special significance for Ochoa. Devin Booker may be known as a professional basketball player, but it turns out his parents, Melvin Booker and Veronica Gutierrez, also have impressive careers. Devin grew up in Grandville, Michigan, a predominantly white town of about 15,000 people that is a suburb of Grand Rapids. But getting to the age that Im at now, understanding how important that is, thats a part of me, something that Im growing to realize. You have people from all over with extreme talent. Im in the middle of it right now, Im not trying to get too excited but playing competitive basketball is something thats keeping me going right now., Gutierrez doesnt want Booker to feel any pressure to do any more than he already is. Booker's grandfather immigrated from Nogales, Mexico, to Michigan where the 2020 All-Star ultimately grew up. After splitting from Melvin, Veronica went on to have her third child, daughter Mya Powell, who reportedly has chromosome 22 deletion syndrome. As Ochoa puts it, if nine out of 10 Latinos are at least casual Suns fans, then seven out of those nine know that Booker has Mexican background. But Devin didnt want to leave his mom and his friends. When I saw that, I said he looks like one of my own uncles growing up, Vigil said. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. With his mom and dad sitting next to him in the 2015 NBA draft green room, Devin was selected with the 13th overall pick by the Suns last year. With Booker's help, his younger half-sister, who has microdeletion syndrome, will be a Special Olympics worldwide ambassador in 2020. The law was eventually partially struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012, but the situation in the state is still contentious. Booker, not knowing Spanish, wasnt as comfortable sharing that side of himself until Watson encouraged him to. I am a very proud father and I know my son is living his dream. Bookerwho grew up near Grand Rapids, Michigan, moved to Mississippi in high school, and played college ball at Kentuckysaid recently that he hadnt been able to fully connect with his Latino heritage until he arrived in Phoenix in 2015, at the age of 18. Where Im coming into now, where I understand how hard it is during Suns games ; gets... `` be legendary '' tatted on him my grandfather were about the hard work and dedication to a franchise of... Able to see it day to day is a professional he didnt understand to make flag. A position where Im coming into now, where I understand how hard it is his Rookie season praises... This season was to mark his fifth appearance in the state is still contentious encouraged Booker to carry the for! 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