NoseBlind2 22 days ago. Melvin Booker of the Missouri Tigers dribbles the court during a game against the Kansas Jayhawks. Mya supports her brother during the matches and is an inspiration to Devin. The lack of representation within the league has encouraged Booker to carry the mantle for people of Mexican heritage. When the same thing happened in 2021, LeBron James, via social media, proclaimed Booker the most disrespected player in our league., Devin Booker pours in 47 points in Game 6 win. Hes a young person, Perla said. When I was a kid, I was always on the go, either outside playing basketball or something, so when it was time when my mom wanted to go to the other side of Michigan to hang with my Mexican side of the family, it wasnt really a priority for me. When I was drafted by Phoenix, I finally got to see the Hispanic culture around me for the first time in my life, Booker said. The athletes parents, Melvin Booker and Veronica Gutierrez, led successful careers of their own as they raised him, and have been a huge part of his life. A lot of them, at that point, didnt know that Booker was of Mexican descent, Ochoa said. Related: Melvin Booker also believed that his son would grow as a person from being at a school where most students didnt have his blessings. Luka Doncic is Devin Booker father. Doesn't booker have more wins against luka overall? When Booker was initially left off the 2020 All-Star roster, Damian Lillard voiced his hopes that Booker would take his spot when the Blazers star suffered an injury that would keep him out of the game. But draft night was one of the worst nights of my life., Said Devin Booker: I could tell he is still kind of hurt by it.. While in high school, Devin exhibited his remarkable sporting talent. Broadway_Baller 6 days ago. "I'm not going to say it's easy, there's going to be a lot of ups and downs, but just knowing it's possible. They never married but dated for many years and had Devin, Melvins only child, in 1996. After averaging at least 25 points over the last four seasons, he averaged 29.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 5.0 apg while shooting 48.8% overall and 42.9% from 3-point range in his playoff debut and Phoenixs 4-2 series victory against the Lakers the franchises first series win since 2010. Everyone loved him.. I also wanted him to be more of a role model to the kids to show that they could make it out of there. But he said that me being drafted is better than him being drafted.. He was always shooting with correct form.. father: Melvin Booker mother: Veronica Gutierrez Basketball Players American Men Height: 6'5" (196 cm ), 6'5" Males Ancestry: Mexican American City: Grand Rapids, Michigan U.S. State: Michigan Notable Alumni: University Of Kentucky More Facts Recommended Lists: American People Tall Celebrities Tall Male Celebrities Male Sportspersons Devin Booker said he owes his mom the world for allowing him to depart to Mississippi and primarily raising him beforehand. Gutierrez allowed Booker, then 12, to visit his father one spring break in Milan, where the son played one-on-one with a future pro in Danilo Gallinari and showed the potential of being a special player. He made his professional NBA debut against the Dallas Mavericks two days before his 19th birthday. That made me want to learn about myself much more honestly because I just hadn't been around. Marc J. Spears is the senior NBA writer for Andscape. Its something thats not too late to learn because, at the end of the day, this is what makes up me, said Booker. His father was a brilliant young NBA player when he met Veronica during on one of his tours for the Continental Basketball Association.. I think all of this is even cooler because he has Mexican blood in him, and hes carrying that with him, Gerardo said while looking at a marquee that featured Booker in the center. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network. Its helped me out a lot, he said. 204. 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. 3. It was his mother, Veronica Gutierrez's hometown, and his father, Melvin Booker, who played for CBA's Grand Rapids Hoops. Devin Booker scored 24 points, Deandre Ayton had 22 and Chris Paul added 18 for Phoenix. That's something that's been with me in my blood since birth.. I dont look back on that. Its a feeling like no other. Booker is a two-time NBA All-Star and has been selected to play for Team USA in the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which starts July 25, just three days after a possible Game 7 in the NBA Finals . Try a week on us. I was trying to make up for the times I missed when I was gone.. Hes from a suburban, predominantly white town, Melvin Booker told The Undefeated. Those weekend visits growing up came flashing back to Booker two years ago, when his grandfather passed away. Its a night I will never forget, he said. 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. 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. For her to allow it to happen is unbelievable.. I didnt tell him at all, but I called my mom that night telling her that I might be back soon. Devin averaged 30.9 points per game as a senior despite being double- and triple-teamed during the 2013-14 season at Moss Point. He made the 2016 NBA all-rookie first team, quickly earned a reputation as one of the NBAs top shooters and is the Suns leading scorer. Hence, he became first player in the history of NBA to debut at 18 years of age, with at least one year of college basketball experience. Melvin Booker continued to try to sell Devin and his mother on the idea that if his son was serious about becoming a basketball star, he should move with him to Mississippi and that he could keep in touch back home via text and FaceTime. RELATED: Devin Booker wins season-long NBA Community Assist Award for local outreach, I knew that he was going to take us far.. 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. In a downtown Phoenix alley, sandwiched between two streets named after U.S. presidents, stands a snapshot of the citys Latino culture. She reportedly worked as a cosmetologist and already had a son named Davon Wade when she met Devins father in her hometown of Grand Rapids. If you just acknowledge it from that perspective, then, then maybe it is OK to make it a bigger deal.. He's a former NBA player himself, born on August 20, 1972, and is the reason Devin is the star he is today. Devin, a three-time NBA All-Star, is a professional . I see that as a wink to us because I think he knows thats how we dress. Hollywood Life 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. One even stopped behind it and crossed himself. In the same month, he played in his fifth 30-point game of the season, against the Minnesota Timberwolves. By the end of the season, Devin was part of another 30-point game and finished his rookie season with 1,048 points in total. Noticing his immense talent, Melvin tried hard to bring his son back to Mississippi permanently. At just 20 years old, Devin Booker became the youngest NBA player to record a 70-point game. With family being the most important thing to me, its also very embraced in the Mexican culture. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Interest-Based Ads. 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. She made it happen. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Click to Subscribe to Get Our Free HollywoodLife Daily Newsletter, Devin Booker Celebrates 'Beautiful' Girlfriend Kendall Jenner On Her 26th Birthday -- Photos, Kendall Jenner Wishes BF & 'Best Friend' Devin Booker A Happy 25th Birthday -- See Cute Photos, Kendall Jenner Feels Attacked By Boyfriend Devin Bookers Pumpkin Carving Diss, Devin Bookers Dating History: All About His 2-Year Romance With Kendall Jenner & Past Loves, 13 Obscure Sex Acts You Might Not Know About (But May Want to Try), How Black Creators Can Expand Their Network with LinkedIn, General Hospital Spoilers February 27 March 10. But Devin didnt want to leave his mom and his friends. You drive around the city, you look into the stands at the game and you see it. But living around it and the culture and getting to see it day to day is a lot better. Devin Booker collected the 2018 Three-Point Contest title. Me taking my visits from Missouri from eighth grade on, just the love that he got there is something that Ive never seen before. Knowing that you're capable of doing that and seeing somebody in front of you that has done it before, I know it can be inspiring. Said Devin: He said, God had a plan, and it was for me to make it to the NBA. I'm sick of hearing this kind of bullshit misinformation get spread by brainless cretins that, frankly, I'm surprised could even type on their keyboard. Off the bench: Bookers star status was built on a bench players foundation in college. Melvin Booker averaged 28 points as a senior at Moss Point High and signed with the University of Missouri. That rose to 34 percent in the 2000s, and by 2018, that number had jumped to 43 percent, making Latinos the largest demographic in the Phoenix area. Who Is Melvin Booker? The Lakers legend laughed about that sequence in postgame comments to the media, but he shared a private moment with Booker himself. Playing in Russia with the time difference it would be 3 in the morning there and the middle of the day for us. This proved to be a significant culture shock for young Devin, but he handled it quite well. If you're Mexican and you made it to the NBA, I can too, Booker said. Devin Booker got "Be Legendary" tatted on him. 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. 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. He used to be able to dunk on you, but he hasnt been able to in years and his knees still hurt. I think growing up, were usually in one part of the country, one region, the Midwest, West Coast kids, or from the south. CartographerBlind. This high school in the South had serious urban problems. He ended up at the fourth spot in the race for the 2016 Rookie of the Year award. He was very supportive of everything that I did and still do today. Their goal was to have it ready for Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, but getting it made wasnt easy. Booker had never visited his grandfather's country until his job with the Phoenix Suns took him to Mexico City for two games in January 2017, where the then-unheralded second-year shooting. He was just a really caring guy, Booker said of his grandfather in a recent telephone conversation with The Athletic. But now, Ochoa is almost levitating as he calls an NBA Finals game surrounded by a deafening crowd. Booker, not knowing Spanish, wasnt as comfortable sharing that side of himself until Watson encouraged him to. 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. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Booker has said in the past that this has been much easier for him to do in Phoenix, a city with a population. The following season, he was named to the All-NBA First Team and helped lead the Suns to a franchise record of 64 wins. From his seat inside a suite at Phoenix Suns Arena, Arturo Ochoa can barely hear himself think. Imagine how I have to paint that picture over the airwaves so that those who listen to us who are Mexican, so that they can feel proud of a guy who shares their blood being an NBA star and who might be the most important player in the city since Larry Fitzgerald.. In a match against the New Orleans Pelicans in November 2016, Devin scored a career-high of 38 points, and a few days later, he bettered it by scoring 39 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. He became the first Phoenix Suns player in 28 years to touch the 38-point mark consecutively in two matches. 18. In another January game against the Indiana Pacers, he scored 32 points to become the third-youngest NBA player and the youngest Suns player to score more than 30 points in a game. So, just trying to inspire in that type of way and keep representing the heritage. The 19-year-old rookie acquitted himself well, reaching the final round before ultimately losing to Klay Thompson. He also taught his son some tricks of the trade he developed on the pro level. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, INTERACTIVE RADAR: Tracking winter storm in Arizona. That was simple enough: Lugo knew he wanted Bookers face on a prayer candle, and a Suns logo with the traditional green, red, and white tricolor design. In October 2017, he scored 34 points against the Portland Trail Blazers to finish his 21st career game with 30+ points. 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