
Devin Booker
Devin Booker is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns, known for being the franchise's all-time leading scorer and scoring 70 points in a single game against the Boston Celtics. Selected 13th overall in the 2015 NBA draft following his college career at the University of Kentucky, he developed into a perennial NBA All-Star and an All-NBA First Team selection. He has also won two Olympic gold medals representing the United States men's basketball team.
Personal life and heritage
Booker is the son of Veronica Gutierrez, a cosmetologist, and Melvin Booker, a former college basketball standout at Missouri who played in the NBA and overseas. His maternal grandfather is from Los Nogales, Mexico, giving Booker Mexican heritage, which he frequently honors. He grew up primarily with his mother in Grand Rapids, Michigan, while visiting his father during summers abroad.
Booker has an older half-brother, Davon Wade, and a younger half-sister, Mya Powell. His close bond with Mya, who was diagnosed with microdeletion syndrome, inspired his appointment as a global ambassador for the Special Olympics in 2020. Through his philanthropic initiative, the Starting Five, Booker established a multimillion-dollar charitable program donating substantial grants to nonprofit organizations across the Phoenix metropolitan area.
In his personal life, Booker dated Jordyn Woods in 2018. He was later in a relationship with model and reality television personality Kendall Jenner from June 2020 until their separation in late 2022. Outside basketball, Booker is an avid follower of Detroit sports franchises, including the Lions and the Red Wings.
High school and college basketball
Booker began his prep career at Grandville High School in Michigan before relocating to Mississippi in 2011 to live with his father after Melvin retired from professional play. Enrolling at Moss Point High School, where his father served as an assistant coach, Booker developed into one of the nation's premier shooting prospects. During his junior season, he carried a 3.81 grade point average while averaging 29.7 points per game. He concluded his high school career as Moss Point's all-time leading scorer with 2,518 points and earned selection to the 2014 McDonald's All-American Game.
Booker committed to the University of Kentucky to play under head coach John Calipari for the 2014-15 season. Embracing a reserve role on a roster that won 38 consecutive games and reached the NCAA Final Four, Booker averaged 10.0 points in 21.5 minutes per game while shooting 41.1 percent from three-point range. His contributions earned him SEC Sixth Man of the Year honors along with second-team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman selections. Following his freshman campaign, he declared for the 2015 NBA draft.
Historic scoring and rise with Phoenix
Selected 13th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2015 NBA draft, Booker made his professional debut just prior to his 19th birthday. He quickly established himself as a potent offensive weapon, earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors in 2016 and becoming the youngest participant in NBA Three-Point Contest history.
On March 24, 2017, at 20 years old, Booker became the sixth player in NBA history to score 70 points in a single game, achieving the feat on the road against the Boston Celtics. The performance set a Phoenix franchise record and made him the youngest player ever to score 60 or 70 points in a game. In 2018, he won the NBA Three-Point Contest with a then-record final-round score of 28 points, and later that year signed a five-year contract extension. In March 2019, he became the youngest player in league history to post consecutive 50-point games.
NBA Finals, All-NBA honors, and franchise records
Booker earned his first All-Star selection during the 2019-20 season and led the Suns to an undefeated 8-0 record inside the 2020 NBA Bubble in Orlando. The following season, paired with veteran guard Chris Paul, Booker led Phoenix to its first playoff berth in over a decade. In his postseason debut against the Los Angeles Lakers, he scored 34 points in Game 1 and later dropped 47 points to clinch the series in Game 6. He propelled Phoenix to the 2021 NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks, breaking Rick Barry's 54-year-old record for most points scored during a player's first career playoff run with 601 total points.
During the 2021-22 regular season, Booker helped guide the Suns to a franchise-record 64 wins, earning his first All-NBA First Team selection. On February 3, 2025, Booker surpassed Walter Davis to become the all-time leading scorer in Phoenix Suns history. In July 2025, he signed a two-year maximum contract extension to remain with the organization.
Olympic career with Team USA
Booker made his senior national team debut for the United States men's basketball team at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were held in 2021. He served as a core contributor for the American squad that captured the Olympic gold medal.
He returned to Team USA for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, starting throughout the tournament alongside LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant. Booker helped lead the United States to another Olympic gold medal, with head coach Steve Kerr praising him as the unsung most valuable player of the tournament run.
Quick facts
- At age 12, Booker played one-on-one against future NBA forward Danilo Gallinari while visiting his father in Milan, Italy.
- He finished his high school career as Moss Point High School's all-time leading scorer with 2,518 points.
- Booker was named SEC Sixth Man of the Year during his lone collegiate season at Kentucky in 2014-15.
- He made his NBA debut with the Phoenix Suns just two days before turning 19 years old.
- At 20 years old, he became the youngest player in NBA history to score 70 points in a game.
- Booker won the 2018 NBA Three-Point Contest by setting a then-event record of 28 points in the final round.
- At 22 years old, he became the youngest player in NBA history to score 50 or more points in consecutive games.
- He set the NBA record for most points scored in a player's first career postseason with 601 points in 2021.
- Booker passed Steve Nash in 2023 for the most three-point field goals made in Phoenix Suns franchise history.
- He surpassed Walter Davis on February 3, 2025, to become the Phoenix Suns' all-time career scoring leader.
- Booker was named a global ambassador to the Special Olympics in 2020 in honor of his younger half-sister.
- He has won two Olympic gold medals with the United States men's national basketball team, in Tokyo and Paris.
FAQs about Devin Booker
Was Devin Booker ever married?
No, Devin Booker has never been married.
Is Devin Booker's dad Mexican?
No, his father Melvin Booker is African-American. Booker's Mexican ancestry comes through his mother Veronica Gutierrez, whose father was from Mexico.
Did Devin Booker have a 4.0 GPA?
Booker did not have a 4.0 GPA, but he maintained a 3.81 grade point average during his junior year at Moss Point High School.
How old was Devin Booker when he was drafted?
Booker was 18 years old when he was selected 13th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2015 NBA draft.
Who are Devin Booker's parents?
Booker is the son of Veronica Gutierrez, a cosmetologist, and Melvin Booker, a former professional basketball player who was named the 1994 Big Eight Player of the Year at the University of Missouri.
What high schools did Devin Booker attend?
Booker attended Grandville High School in Michigan for his freshman year before transferring to Moss Point High School in Mississippi for the remainder of his prep career.
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