Devin Booker Media Availability | Phoenix Suns Training Camp Day 2

So, age-wise, you’re not the oldest guy on the roster, but experience-wise, you’re number one. Are you Are you getting called by the young guys yet? Is it at that point yet? Not yet. They got I think 30 32 I might start getting that. So, Royce Royce is Oh, yes. He has no gray yet. I got some gray. It’s up here. No, I just got to add on. I’m not hiding it. Deon, what’s it been like having Steve here? Yeah, I mean it’s Which one? Okay. No, we’re just talking about Yeah. I mean, it only makes sense, man. Having two time in the building, um, you know, him being around for all of us, you know, just knowing that he’s in the gym is going to, you know, raise the level of everything. So, you know, I’m excited to further develop that relationship and, you know, pick his brain. Um, obviously he’s a mastermind, you know, of this sport and has been for a long time. Is there anything in particular right off the bat you want to talk with him about as far as the game? Um, I mean, all of it. you know, him being a floor general like like he is, I’m not going to say was because, you know, a guy of of that caliber, you know, h has the mind frame to even when he’s not playing, you know, he can see what the game’s going to and he can think the game at at a level that nobody else can. book, there was there was Troy and there was Jay and now everyone with Dylan coming in, they just had their presumptions of like you guys aren’t going to get along because you’ve had your battles over the years, but we’ve seen through previous experience that that’s overblown every time. What do you think allows high level competitors to like put that to the side and compete together? I mean, it’s respect, you know, at the end of the day, you know, that’s what we’re out here to do. um is compete at the highest level. And I’d rather it more that way um to where things get chippy than, you know, the softer route. So, you know, I think, you know, the fans are going to love it. Everybody’s going to be happy that he’s on our side of it now. And, you know, I’m excited to get out there and compete with him. I want to ask you about Nigel. I don’t know how much you remember about his game from a decade ago when you guys played in the tournament. It’s already But just like kind of like a mid-post old school kind of guy, but now you look at him, he’s a completely different player now, right? Yeah. Um, and he knows his spots. Um, he knows, you know, where to be, right time, right place. Um, he’s always going to compete and communicate at a high level. So, you know, he has all the intangibles to be be effective out there. Back to uh back to Dylan. He I mean that persona of being the villain. He told us yesterday that he thinks there’s another guy on the team that kind of can have that role too who’s going to let us figure it out. But here to here to share with us who you think it is? He said villain Junior and someone we don’t expect. Those were his two picks. I don’t know. You know, I guess he has to proclaim them. So, we’ll see. Colin also talked about just um how competitive the practices have been. What stood out to you about that? Uh just what he said. You know, the level on everything’s high, every little mini drill that we do. Um we’re split up into groups and you know we want to win. You know everybody’s charting their wins you know in their head saying them out loud and um you know that’s just a high level gym. You know everybody’s a competitor so nobody wants to lose and anything. When you look at obviously being a primary creator, primary ball handler, feels like a battle for space between offenses and defenses. What I how do you see him kind of maximizing your time by creating more space for you and giving you those more pockets to kind of operate? I think you know just figuring out the the spacing out there. I think it would take a little bit of time. Kind of what we were just saying about Nigel being in the right place at the right time and punish teams for, you know, junk defenses and blitzes. Um, and you know, it’s going to take some time to build. The the faster we speed up that process, I think it’ll be easier for everybody where, you know, I can find that right balance of making plays for people and scoring. I think Matt said on media day that you had the guys up to Flagstaff over the season. Can you tell us a little bit about that trip, what that was like? I just want to, you know, we had a new team. Just get everybody, you know, together um and out of some of their comfort zones being outside together on the golf course. And, you know, we definitely got some time in in the gym. So, you know, we didn’t want training camp or a week before training camp to be the first time everybody’s meeting each other because, you know, I know, you know, how valuable those offc court relationships, you know, directly affect being on the court together. Look, I wanted to ask you about uh the Mercury. They got a couple big ones this weekend. Um what have you seen from them and just like you guys are ramping up, they’re making a playoff push. Um what’s that like for basketball in the valley? I mean, I think the whole season they they’ve surprised a lot of people and they went in with, you know, no expectations from, you know, the outside world and you can see um you know, that they brought it together, kept everything inhouse and continue to improve at the right time. Um, and now they’re making a push and being down 20 last game and, you know, still making an effort. You know, it’s like they didn’t care if they won or loss, they were just playing hard and you see what it turned into. So, you know, back to the Valley now. Two games, one at a time. And, you know, I know it’s going to be hype in there. The playoffs, the playoffs is often a time when continuity catches up to teams that it didn’t for you guys on on your deep run. And for them, it’s it’s not mattering either. What allows teams in basketball, you think, to do that to like click in right away and make up for experience that other teams have together? Oh, it’s just a it’s an energy thing and it’s contagious. You know, you feel it. You feel it through the city. I know they feel it through the locker room and you know, that’s how our experience was where, you know, everything’s clicking at the right time. And I wouldn’t say super similar to baseball, but timing is important for that. Um because a lot of teams are hot during the regular season and they don’t face any adversity throughout the season. The first time they feel it is at the wrong time. So, you know, that’s why you got to be levelheaded throughout the season and just continue to stack days and get better. Scoop got the cleats now. Yeah, Scoop got the cleat for the playoff run. Yeah, we we need to get hot at the right time. We need to get hot at the right time. A little dramatic. It has saw you golfing a couple weeks ago, I think, with Darzi. speak to kind of that relationship you’ve established. And how often do y’all talk basketball? We don’t talk basketball as much anymore. Talk more golf than basketball, but um she’s enjoying retirement. You know, we’ve been on the course actually two times in the past two weeks. So um a relationship that, you know, I don’t take lightly that I always embrace. And you know, as a 18-year-old coming in here and we’d share the same facilities, um, just her presence around and if you’ve been around her, her her energy is always high level. You know, I’ve never seen it less than a 10 and, you know, watching her play it, it was the same way. So, you know, was something that, you know, it’s definitely inspiring. Speaking of golf, what’s your handicap? I’m still working on it. I’m watching I’m watching these boys right now, though. Going for USA. I wanted to ask you about uh Jaylen, what you’ve seen here. Um playing with him on the court for the some of the first time I know you guys were working out, but um just his talk about his competitiveness, resiliency, and kind of what kind of moments have you guys had in practice here the last couple days? Uh yeah, we’re figuring it out. Um obviously a high talent, um high athleticism, and you know, he’s a player. You know, he has the the instincts and intangibles that you can’t teach. um you know, so we’re going to we’re going to do a good job figuring out how to play off of each other. Um and we don’t want to take away from from any of each other. So I think aggressive is is always the way. So I’m in his ear to, you know, continue just, you know, be you and you know, we were all figured out around him. Thank you, sir. Thank you. We keep an eye out.

Devin Booker speaks to the media following Day 2 of Phoenix Suns Training Camp on September 26th, 2025. Booker talks about being on the court with Jalen Green, what it’s like having Steve Nash in the building, the impact Dillon Brooks has on this team, and the Phoenix Mercury playoff push.

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