Devin Booker remembers hopping in the car with his mother, Veronica Gutierrez, as she took a more than two-hour drive from their home in the suburbs of Grand Rapids, Mich., to Detroit to spend time with his Papa. My journey and my path, I hope it opens up something in their minds to let them know that they're capable of doing exactly what I've done, Booker said. Melvin Booker gave strong credit to Gutierrez for doing a great job of keeping me connected while he was playing professional basketball and allowing him to get off-season time with his only child. Melvin Booker told his son that he needed to have a high basketball IQ since he didnt own elite athleticism and running ability. That was the only reason I put Devin there. Born In: Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, See the events in life of Devin Booker in Chronological Order, (American Professional Basketball Player Who Plays as the Shooting guard), https://www.nba.com/suns/news/suns-draft-points-view-devin-booker#gref, https://hoopshype.com/2017/03/11/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-devin-booker/, Devin Booker was born on October 30, 1996, in Michigan, to an AfricanAmerican father, Melvin Brooker, and his MexicanAmerican and Puerto Rican partner, Veronica Gutirrez. But living around it and the culture and getting to see it day to day is a lot better. LoWE11053211 21 days ago. Devin was immensely attached to his father. Family has always been first and foremost in Bookers life and seeing that embracement of family values within the Hispanic community has only helped Booker admire and connect to his ancestry. Being able to touch those types of communities in this area makes all this that much better.. This particular remark carries special significance for Ochoa. Booker and Phoenix are starting to build the kind of rare star-city relationship thats been most recently seen between Stephen Curry and the Bay Area. US former first children today He's. 18 0 comments Best Add a Comment More posts from r/nbacirclejerk 78K subscribers NumerousPainting354 2 days ago JOTY 2.4K 111 oldmatesatan 3 days ago Chet Holmgren injury update: no longer in a boot, it looks like his Lisfranc injury to his right foot is healing nicely. 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. As of early 2021, Davon has an estimated net worth of around $500 thousand. But Melvin Booker said the relationship and bond grew so much closer during his sons three years at Moss Point. If youre lucky, you might see one of the artists working on a piece when you visit. Get to know them better here. One of them shows the elder Booker then playing for the Golden State Warriors driving against, you guessed it, the Phoenix Suns. That was the same night former Suns great and Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash saw his name and likeness enshrined in the franchises Ring of Honor at halftime. It brought tears to my eyes. Maybe its my Mexican roots, Booker said with a smile when he was asked how he was able to put up 39 points in back-to-back games there. Only two photos of him exist in the leagues Getty/NBAE archives. Booker's grandfather immigrated from Nogales, Mexico, to Michigan where the 2020 All-Star ultimately grew up. Los Suns, said Richard Valdes from Phoenix. She just always talked about his character and how loving he was, and just how he was the backbone of the family.. Thats changed after his years in the cityas has the place he holds in many Latino Suns fans hearts. Booker is introduced last among the starters during Suns games; he gets the loudest cheers, and his jerseys are ubiquitous. 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. But we did the best that we could.. Thats part of the reason I grind so much, Devin Booker said. I meet a lot of people around the basketball business that talk about him like, People may not know who your father is, but he could hoop, Devin Booker said. 3-Point Contest: The league noticed Bookers shooting stroke immediately and invited its youngest player to participate in the 2016 Three-Point Contest. Melvin Booker also believed that his son would grow as a person from being at a school where most students didn't have his blessings. Noting Bookers Mexican heritage is part of thatbut its also a responsibility Ochoa feels on a personal level. When Booker was 20, Kevin Durant said on The Bill Simmons Podcast that he wanted the Thunder to draft Booker in 2015. Thanks, Pops: Bookers father, Melvin Booker, played professionally from 1994-2008, including for two seasons and three different NBA teams (Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors). 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. Devin Booker Personal Life. He joined Wilt Chamberlain, David Robinson, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor and Kobe Bryant as the only ones to score that many points in a single game. The Suns, including owner Robert Sarver, spoke out against the bill and wore their Los Suns jerseys in solidarity with the community. 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. After the passing of his grandfather, Booker made it an emphasis to get intact. 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. Davon lives a single life. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. I wasnt going to make the decision for him.. Sometimes I would go up to [Michigan] to watch him. Lugo, who had draped the flag around his back, was trying to get to his seats in the 200 level, but he kept getting interrupted by people asking to take a picture of the flag. Devin played basketball with his dad and his friends. Twenty-four-year-old Gerardo Gutirrez and his brother, 20-year-old German Gutirrez, are two of the few people there, sipping the last drops of their Dutch Bros iced coffee and taking pictures of the stadium marquee signaling that their team is hosting an NBA Finals. Devins mother is Victoria Gutirrez, a Mexican-American who has two other children. Its definitely something that I want to do. 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. He went on to play in the NBA for the Houston Rockets during the 1995-1996 season and the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors during the 1996-1997 season. As a father, hed do anything I wanted to do. It increases the fandom, just because its someone you can relate to, said Jason Macias, a lifelong Suns fan who is a third-generation Mexican American. Those were the most enjoyable moments - just sitting down, family time and enjoying some really good food.. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. I think that had a lot to do with being around people like that for the first time. He was just a really caring guy, Booker said of his grandfather in a recent telephone conversation with The Athletic. . Ive been here, putting my head down, grinding, you know, these past five years, trying to get to this point, to at least give them competitive basketball. But it was also quite challenging to build a relationship with his son from afar despite a couple of visits overseas. Latin-American ambassador: Booker's maternal grandfather was an immigrant from Nogales, Mexico, a fact Booker has grown to. and people say this sub is not woke enough. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, who is serving a 25-game suspension for getting caught using a diuretic. Division I colleges were already pursuing him. It takes a powerful woman to do that. When you ask people around Phoenix when they became aware of Bookers Mexican heritage, everyone has a different answer: the 2017 game the Suns played in Mexico, or the one in 2019; through the video the team put out for National Hispanic Heritage Month last year; or just this past season, as the Suns became one of the best teams in the league and Booker became an even bigger star. Of course, a lot of this wouldnt have happened had Booker not shown a willingness to embrace his Latino roots. He spent the summers with his father in the latters hometown of Moss Point, Mississippi, a predominantly black town with around 13,000 people that also had its share of crime and poverty issues. This proved to be a significant culture shock for young Devin, but he handled it quite well. The 6-foot-1 point guard was a consensus 1994 Associated Press second-team All-America selection at Mizzou. Those weekend visits growing up came flashing back to Booker two years ago, when his grandfather passed away. I have a very traditional tight Mexican family on my fathers side, but Devins life has pretty much been on the go with school, b-ball and summers in Mississippi. Spend some time in Phoenixespecially latelyand that last sentiment rings true. Maybe they didn't though, maybe they just smashed their sweaty, ugly, greasy, zit-covered faces all over their . His maternal grandfather hails from Mexico. But Devin didnt want to leave his mom and his friends. Other Latinos dream of bringing Booker home for dinner to introduce him to their most favorite Mexican dishes. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, 5 takeaways from Durant's debut with Suns, Durant expected to make Suns debut tonight, David Benner, Pacers longtime PR director, dies, NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo plays & strategy for March 1, Kia Rookie Ladder: State of chase after All-Star, NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer Wednesday 3/1. He is not living through me. My relationship with my grandfather was unbelievable, Booker said. He averaged 13.8 points per game. For those who arent fans, Bookers heritage may be what finally draws them in. Melvin Booker, however, believed that Moss Point High would benefit from his sons presence on and off the court. Devins performance got better over the years, and his father soon announced that he was contacted by a few NBA teams that were interested to acquire Devin. 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. Said Devin: He said, God had a plan, and it was for me to make it to the NBA. To capitalize on his popularity after those performances, Booker worked out deals with Nike and Zucaritas, the Mexican version of Frosted Flakes, to make a few return trips. Everyone loved him.. I owe her all the credit for allowing that to happen, Melvin Booker said. And it seems as if things have gotten serious to the point where Devin Booker, 24, wanted his supermodel girlfriend Kendall Jenner, 25, to meet his grandma in Moss Point, Mississippi . Oops. His dad couldnt be prouder. In the 1990s, Latinos made up just 20 percent of Phoenixs population. Its hard to put into words how proud I am, it really is. So, that's my job.. A shooting guard, Booker received a star status after being the 13th overall draft and being selected by Phoenix Suns. With mom and dad by his side, Devin chose Kentucky in the blue chip recruiting class that also included current NBA players Karl-Anthony Towns, Trey Lyles and Tyler Ulis. Who the f is this guy lmao. Melvin is African-American and Veronica is Puerto-Rican and Mexican American. He was always shooting with correct form.. Booker has come to embrace the Mexican side of his family as the support of the Valleys culture has driven him to educate himself more on his familys background and learn more about his lineage. Bookers grandfather immigrated from Nogales, Mexico, to Michigan where the 2020 All-Star ultimately grew up. By submitting your email, you agree to our, Suns Fans Find Meaningand Connectionin Devin Booker and His Mexican Heritage, 2021 NBA Finals Reset: Five Questions That Will Decide Bucks-Suns. Booker, not knowing Spanish, wasnt as comfortable sharing that side of himself until Watson encouraged him to. Devin Booker was born to play basketball as his father is a former professional basketball player. The then-18-year-old finished the game with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting in 21 minutes. The undersized point guard was stunned as he went undrafted. This is a good life here in the NBA. Devin Armani Booker was born on Oct. 30, 1996, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He ended up at the fourth spot in the race for the 2016 Rookie of the Year award. Media reports claim that while in college, he had had many affairs. She made it happen. Melvin Booker got to break a sweat on a few NBA teams but mostly played overseas in Turkey, Russia and Italy. That made me want to learn about myself much more honestly because I just hadn't been around. We could.. Thats part of the reason I put Devin there Booker is introduced last among starters. Of bringing Booker home for dinner to introduce him to their most favorite Mexican.! 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