Devin Booker has been one of the most consistent players over the past decade. He has been the most stable player on their roster, and his reliable play style has led to comparisons to his personal basketball hero, Kobe Bryant.
The Phoenix Suns are entering a new era with Devin Booker as the sole star. Over the past few seasons, he and Kevin Durant were considered a package deal. Now that Durant has moved on to the Houston Rockets, Booker is the biggest star on the team.
The franchise believes Booker can carry the team, considering he is their best player. This has been a gradual development over the past 10 years, as Booker went from promising youngster to star and then franchise cornerstone.
Booker was not that type of player during his Kentucky days in college, but he has improved enough to warrant respect from players across the league. That includes his former Kentucky teammate and fellow 2015 draftee, D’Angelo Russell.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesRussell is impressed with Booker’s development over the years
Russell and Booker became friends during their high-school years when they were part of the NBPA Top 100 camp. Through the years, they stayed close friends alongside Karl-Anthony Towns. They have all developed into All-Star players in the NBA, which is a testament to their talents and their growth.
Since Russell and Towns were the first and second overall picks in the 2015 Draft, people expected them to be superstars. For Booker, that was not the case, considering he was selected at the tail end of the lottery with the 13th pick.
While they were all successful, Booker is arguably the player who has grown the most in their 10 NBA seasons. Russell has been there every step of the way, and he has been impressed with how much Booker has improved over the years.
“He’s one of the few guys I watched develop into who he is. Just watching him elevate his game every year. We used to compete in pre-draft head-on, dude couldn’t dribble for real, and now he’s a pro,” Russell said on The Backyard podcast.
“Watching him develop all these things and his game, and it’s just like ‘Now y’all comparing this guy to Kobe?’. It’s recognizing and appreciating it, and also being motivated by it.”
Booker will continue to be a star for the Suns
Phoenix has not been the most stable team, but that cannot be pinned on Booker. He has been a loyal player to the team, staying with them even in their dark days in the mid-to-late 2010s. They went through a successful time in the early 2020s, but now, they are back to square one with Booker as the star.
He committed his long-term future to the Suns by signing a contract extension during the 2025 offseason. Booker will continue being the franchise cornerstone, as he is still firmly in his prime.
Mat Ishbia calls out NBA experts for sleeping on the Suns next season
“I’m not worried about what the so-called experts think. They had us as a title contender the past two years and were wrong then.” pic.twitter.com/oTDNnI5MbE
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 27, 2025
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The Suns are ready to keep helping him, as team owner Mat Ishbia wants to keep fighting. He wants to keep investing in the team, and with Booker as the superstar, Ishbia already has a reliable go-to guy. The rest of the team must improve to give them a chance, but they are in a good spot with Booker as their foundation.