National Basketball Association

Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker reached NBA Finals following his dad's lessons

Updated Jul. 30, 2021 8:18 a.m. ET

By Melissa Rohlin
FOX Sports NBA Writer

As soon as Devin Booker walked into the locker room, he FaceTimed his father.

The music was blaring. His teammates were screaming. Guys were dancing around him. But before celebrating the Phoenix Suns ' reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in nearly three decades, Booker needed to honor the man who helped him get there.

"We were just yelling and celebrating," Devin's father, Melvin Booker, told FOX Sports. "A lot of hard work just paid off."

Basketball has always been a part of Devin's DNA. After starring at the University of Missouri, his father played professionally from 1994 to 2008, with stints in the American minor leagues, the NBA — including 11 games for the Houston Rockets, five for the Denver Nuggets and 16 for the Golden State Warriors — and overseas in Italy, Turkey and Russia.

Melvin imbued his son with a deep love of the game and its intricacies.

As a child, Devin watched NBA games in a different way than his peers, zeroing in on the nuances of what was happening on the court instead of being enamored by the eye candy of dunks and long 3-pointers.

But Melvin didn't realize just how unique his son was until Devin, as a preteen in 2008, became wildly upset when the Detroit Pistons traded Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets as part of a deal to acquire Allen Iverson, one of the biggest superstars in the league at the time.

"He didn't go for the flashy game," Melvin said. "He went for the simple game. He understood the importance of what Chauncey would bring to a team. I knew then, for a kid to be 11 or 12 years old and understand that, I was like, this kid understands basketball."

Devin was always incredibly smart. He was talented. But his work ethic wasn't up to par. Melvin eventually decided he needed to intervene and train him.

When Devin was 14, Melvin says he turned down a two-year offer to play in Italy because he wanted to help his son reach the next level. Melvin and Devin's mother, Victoria Gutierrez, were never married, and she and Devin lived in Michigan. Melvin convinced them that Devin should move to Mississippi as a sophomore to attend his father's former high school, Moss Point, while Melvin helped turn Devin into a great player.

For Devin, that changed everything.

"I always had love for the game of basketball, I was always a student of the game, but I wasn't aware of the work that goes into it," Devin said. "So I was always good, but he made me take it the extra mile. He pushed me. I had never been pushed before. I never had the truth told to me at all times. Somebody that is telling the truth out of the goodness of their heart to see you succeed, you can feel that. So it just makes you want to be better every day."

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Melvin became an assistant coach at Moss Point High. After practices, he'd spend hours helping Devin perfect his shooting and dribbling skills. Then they'd hit the weight room before returning home late at night to eat dinner together.

Devin was willing to do anything to get better. He listened to his father's advice. He followed his regimen. He even surprised his dad with the sacrifices he was willing to make.

"Do you know how hard it is to cut some bad food out of a 14-year-old's diet?" Melvin said. "But he was all-in. He never said anything about it. He just took whatever was put on his plate."

The gym became their sanctuary.

It was where they spoke a common language. It brought them together after they had lived apart for much of Devin's childhood while Melvin played ball to help support his mother, brother, sister and son.

Melvin Booker, left, plays in a Euroleague Basketball playoff game in Greece in 2007. Booker played in four international finals, but lost all four. (Photo by Pavlos Makridis/Euroleague Basketball/Getty Images)

Father and son cherished their time together. Melvin was training his favorite player in the world. Devin was getting professional coaching as a teenager from someone he loved.

"It was a way for us to bond and make up for lost time," Melvin said. "My passion for the game, his passion for the game, we just got on the court, and that's one of the best feelings in the world."

Devin's skills flourished. As a senior at Moss Point, he averaged 32.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He then helped lead the 2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats to a 38-1 record and the Final Four before being selected by the Suns as the 13th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

When Monty Williams took the head-coaching job with the Suns in 2019, he immediately noticed Booker was mature beyond his years, physically and mentally.

Not only was his game smooth and effortless, but his attitude was also distinctly different from those of most other players in their early 20s.

"He's had the cheat code because of his dad," Williams said. "When he got to the league, he was able to have success because of the preparation and foundation that Melvin laid in his life as a basketball player, as a man, teaching him discipline, structure, what an NBA day looks like, what a college day looks like. Those experiences and that knowledge is hard to quantify. I know it when I see it."

Devin, now 24, has turned into a weapon from pretty much everywhere on the court. He's a shooting guard who can make 3s, he has a silky midrange jumper, and he's not afraid to drive and mix things up down low. Every offseason, he works out with his father, tweaking his game to become the deadliest version of himself.

He has drawn comparisons to former Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant because of his explosiveness and ability to take over games by effortlessly creating his own shot. This season, Devin averaged 25.6 points on 48.4% shooting, helping lead the Suns to the second-best record in the Western Conference at 51-21.

But despite all of his success, Devin has always been underrated, so much so that Lakers superstar LeBron James called him "the most disrespected player" in the league after he was overlooked as a reserve for the All-Star team. (He later made the team as an injury replacement for Anthony Davis.)

Melvin has been devoted to changing that narrative.

Before the playoffs, he had a long chat with Devin after finding out the Suns were playing the defending-champion Lakers in the first round. Melvin knew the world would be watching to see how his son responded against James and Davis. This was Devin's chance to build his name.

"Here's where you can start your legacy," Melvin said.

Devin delivered 30-point performances in the first two playoff games of his career, followed by a spectacular, 47-point performance in Game 6 of the series to send the Lakers into summer break.

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Melvin has been at each of his son's home games, and he's so invested that he has developed some superstitions about accompanying Devin on the road.

After the Suns lost Game 3 to the Lakers at Staples Center, Melvin felt a sinking feeling in his stomach that told him to not be in the arena for Game 4.

"I told Devin, 'Yo, I've got to go back home. I'm not feeling this right now. We lost [Game] 3,'" Melvin said. "And then I get back home, and I'm sitting on my couch watching the game, and we win Game 4. And now my superstitions are running crazy. It's been like that."

Regardless of where he's watching, Melvin is always closely analyzing his son's play through a coach's lens.

After the Suns' disappointing Game 5 loss to the LA Clippers in a potential elimination game in the Western Conference finals in Phoenix, Devin called his father as he drove home.

He wanted to know what he could've done better.

Melvin pointed out Clippers guard Patrick Beverley was being very aggressive on defense and suggested that changing the pace could open up the floor. "Try to be more aggressive and get space by speeding up the game instead of letting him bog the game down," Melvin told his son.

Devin and his teammates responded by playing much faster in Game 6, scoring 130 points to advance to the Finals for the franchise's first time since 1993.

For Melvin, this has all been a dream come true.

Devin Booker hopes to get his hands on the NBA's ultimate trophy in 2021. (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

His son is about to compete for an NBA championship in his playoff debut. Devin has continued to shine on the biggest of stages, scoring at least 30 points in seven games. And his confidence has skyrocketed, something Melvin has noticed in his son's pregame routine.

"I watch everything," Melvin said. "I watch the bounce that he has, the balling to the music, and I'll be like, 'Yeah, it's go time.' He'll look at me right before the game, right after the introductions. We give each other the nod. This is the best feeling as a parent."

Heading into the final round, Melvin has one more superstition.

Despite the overwhelming pride he takes in his son's success, he isn't allowing it to pour out of him quite yet. He played in four finals overseas, losing all of them. He knows better than anyone that his son's work is not finished.

But Melvin is hoping that Devin is just four wins away from FaceTiming him again from an elated locker room.

He's already preparing himself for how that moment would feel.

"I'm saving my emotions for when we grab that Larry O'Brien trophy," he said.

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She has previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.