He was very supportive of everything that I did and still do today. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Stuntin like his daddy: How Devin Bookers father paved his path to the NBA. He's just not. In June 2015, he was selected by the Phoenix Suns as the 13th overall pick. I appreciate my dad actually telling me to make the move. So, that's my job.. This is a good life here in the NBA. But living around it and the culture and getting to see it day to day is a lot better. He was just a really caring guy, Booker said of his grandfather in a recent telephone conversation with The Athletic. For sure, Booker said. Devin Booker collected the 2018 Three-Point Contest title. 204. It took a lot of persuading for former NBA player Melvin Booker to get his son to move to Mississippi away from his mom to best aid his hoop dream. He ended up at the fourth spot in the race for the 2016 Rookie of the Year award. His voice rings into his microphone as Booker hits a tough shot, which Ochoa describes in detail before punctuating the play with his go-to description for the Suns star: El hombre con herencia hispana! The man with Hispanic heritage. Devin soon started attending Grandville High School, and Melvin retired from professional basketball to stay closer to his son. 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. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Interest-Based Ads. But I had many conversations with my dad. Devin had the kind of relationship with him that was distant but you always knew he was there, Bookers mother wrote in an email. Of course, her being my mother, she said, Just let me know when [youre] coming back. In June, sources confirmed the couple had split amid mounting speculation from fans who noticed signs of a breakup. To let you know, Devin's maternal grandfather was one of the immigrants from Nogales, Mexico. I didnt like it all, Devin Booker said. Huh, I thought Gary Trent was Luka Doncic father. The respect I received from my family and everyone in the city made me want to stay. The player has confronted that culture's strong family ties are the ones he had always embraced and inherited in his life. Devin Booker was born on 30th October 1996 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Melvin Booker and Veronica Gutierrez. Even after having a really long playoff run, Devin Booker wasn't . 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. Luka Doncic is Devin Booker father. The 1994 Big Eight Conference Player of the Year averaged 18.1 points, 4.5 assists and two 3-pointers per game during his senior season. With this, he became the third player in NBA history to achieve the feat. With Booker being Hispanic, I think it just opens the eyes to our culture around our Hispanic heritage, Lugo said. The shooting ability was already there. Devin Booker scored 24 points, Deandre Ayton had 22 and Chris Paul added 18 for Phoenix. In a. Kevin Durant shows no signs of rust in his 1st game with Phoenix, meshing quickly with his new teammates. 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). Let these kids know that, especially with the NBA today, it's not one race. Devin Booker hasnt disappointed. He was the 1994 Big Eight Player of the Year and after impressing on the court, he was elected to the intercollegiate athletics Hall of Fame at theUniversity of Missouri. Im in the middle of it right now, Im not trying to get too excited but playing competitive basketball is something thats keeping me going right now., Gutierrez doesnt want Booker to feel any pressure to do any more than he already is. Music booms through two speakers as a DJ and a hype man practice their lines, but the area is virtually deserted. They needed the painting in five hours for a Fathers Day gift. Booker also won a gold medal on the 2020 U.S. Olympic team in Tokyo. From his seat inside a suite at Phoenix Suns Arena, Arturo Ochoa can barely hear himself think. After Devins birth, they decided that they would both take care of Devin, but he mostly stayed with his mother, as his father remained busy with his international basketball career. Its 11 p.m. on the night before Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals, and the space in front of Phoenix Suns Arena is brightly lit. Its unheard of for a player of the year in his conference and a second-team All-American to go undrafted for reasons I dont even know today. Ochoa believes that Earl Watson, the Suns coach for parts of three recent seasons, is a big part of the reason Booker began embracing the culture. He found a role model in his father and started practicing basketball in school. If youre Mexican and you made it to the NBA, I can too, So, just trying to inspire in that type of way and keep representing the heritage. On November 2, 2014, Devin scored 16 points, playing for his college team, against the University of Pikeville. With that, he began a great college basketball career, which paved the way for his future career in the sport. At the time, I was treating it as going away to prep school and my father was going to be there training me. After his freshman year, he joined six Kentucky teammates by entering the 2015 NBA draft. The relationship foundered after Devin's birth, and Veronica raised their son as a single mom while Melvin played international basketball in Europe. Get to know the Utah Jazz's star center with these 10 interesting factoids about his life and career. Booker has said in the past that this has been much easier for him to do in Phoenix, a city with a population. During the 1995-96 season with Grand Rapids, the basketball player met a remarkable young woman named Veronica. To see it turn out the way it turned, the process is quicker than he expected and now to see him having the success hes having on this level is amazing. He became the third-youngest player in the history of NBA to reach 4,000 career points. Isael Lugo didnt get 20 feet inside Phoenix Suns Arena before he was stopped last week. I think growing up, were usually in one part of the country, one region, the Midwest, West Coast kids, or from the south. He averaged 13.8 points per game. His dad couldnt be prouder. And once he did, Ochoa noticed Booker became more comfortable discussing it publicly, like he did when the Suns played in Mexico City in January 2017. The former Kentucky Wildcat didnt start a single game and averaged just 21.5 minutes in his lone collegiate season. 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. Melvin Booker says he turned down an additional contract year with Italys Armani Jeans Milano and retired in 2008, primarily with his son in mind. And many other local fans feel similarly. 2023 ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker appear to be taking their relationship to the next level after a recent video showed the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star meeting Devin's grandmother. Booker is a two-time NBA All-Star and has been selected to play for Team USA in the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which starts July 25, just three days after a possible Game 7 in the NBA Finals . I was with the Rockets for the minute. They mostly talked about and bonded through basketball. Devin initially refused to go to Mississippi. You have people from all over with extreme talent. Melvin Booker, however, believed that Moss Point High would benefit from his sons presence on and off the court. With family being the most important thing to me, its also very embraced in the Mexican culture. I got to see the guys like Michael Jordan play up close, Melvin Booker said. Down to just people saying Kobe when they shoot a piece of trash in the garbage. He met Veronica while mining a minor-league route to the league with the Grand Rapids Mackers of the Continental Basketball Association. These fans might have not been at the game, but that didnt mean they couldnt keep the party going after. Devin Booker, 70 points - March 24, 2017. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. But Booker says it was here in Phoenix where he first experienced the Mexican culture. Noticing his immense talent, Melvin tried hard to bring his son back to Mississippi permanently. Not that there's anything wrong with that. So I came to pick him up after school and the first thing he said was, I dont know about this, dad., This was a social setting he needed to be around to know how blessed he had it because he was around a lot of kids with the typical urban story with no father in their lives Those were the things he needed to see and didnt see before.. If you have a dream and you have the work ethic to match that dream, anything is possible.. It takes a powerful woman to do that. He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The 6-foot-1 point guard was a consensus 1994 Associated Press second-team All-America selection at Mizzou. It wasnt long ago that the radio broadcaster was calling games in Spanish for a 19-win team in a nearly empty building. Related: That Hispanic culture is seen both in the stands and throughout the fan base, but what many might not know, is that the Suns also represent Hispanic heritage on the court. Devin Booker was born to play basketball as his father is a former professional basketball player. He died aged 67. But once I got there, they embraced me, they took me in and I ended up getting more intact with that side of my family also, my dads side, it was a really important time., Looking back, Booker believes the diversity of his upbringing has made him more relatable to people and teammates of different backgrounds. The lowrider car is one of the fixtures of Chicano culture, having originated in East Los Angeles in the 1940s, and on the night Phoenix went up 2-0, a mini caravan of those cars driven by Suns fans paraded down 2nd Street, honking and playing Spanish language music. There was a family legacy at Moss Point as Devin's father and grandfather also attended the high school. He taught his son to shoot with the correct form. After his first day of high school in Mississippi, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker had his dad quite worried that he was going to pack his bags to go back to Michigan. Devin visited Missouri twice, but his dad says he didnt pressure him to go there. Devin Booker's sister, Mya Powell, has always been in the limelight for her bond with the NBA player. I am a very proud father and I know my son is living his dream. 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. Noting Bookers Mexican heritage is part of thatbut its also a responsibility Ochoa feels on a personal level. Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this piece incorrectly stated that Bookers grandfather was born in Nogales, Mexico; he was born in Los Nogales. 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. Ahead of Game 6 of the Lakers series, Booker drove a Grand National to Staples Center. Seeing it, I would never let him shoot another way but the correct way regardless to whether he was shooting on a big basket or a small basket, big ball, small ball, whatever. Those three years with his father helped Devin land at a national powerhouse in Kentucky but also exposed him to an environment much different than hed been accustomed to Michigan. 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. They worked out on the court together. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. He became the fourth-youngest NBA player to score 1,000 points in the first season. The undersized point guard was stunned as he went undrafted. Devin Booker has Mexican roots, making his stardom even sweeter for the Valley's Latino community. Broadway_Baller 6 days ago. The supermodel enjoyed a trip to Mississippi with the NBA player where she was introduced to some of his hometown roots. Like father, like son, Melvin was also a basketball player at the University of Missouri. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, who is serving a 25-game suspension for getting caught using a diuretic. Me taking my visits from Missouri from eighth grade on, just the love that he got there is something that Ive never seen before. He continued to play brilliantly, earning praises from a popular Press-Register sportswriter, Creg Stephenson, who wrote that Devins average of 22.7 points during the season showed that he had developed to be one of the best players on the coast. Going through it and playing at that level, I just told him all the pros and cons of all the schools that were recruiting him It was a decision that he was going to have to make and live with. In 2010, Arizona passed the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, which allowed police officers to detain people based on profiling their appearance. Who are Devin Booker's parents? The avid Suns fan attended the game at Footprint Center and met Suns All-Star Devin Booker 30 minutes before tip. In the same month, he played in his fifth 30-point game of the season, against the Minnesota Timberwolves. By the end of the season, Devin was part of another 30-point game and finished his rookie season with 1,048 points in total. 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. READ MORE: D-I-S-R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Widespread appreciation grows for Devin Booker after regular season indifference. Devin Booker said he owes his mom the world for allowing him to depart to Mississippi and primarily raising him beforehand. It was special. Just around the corner from the Latino Arts and Cultural Center mural in downtown Phoenix stands the actual center, which is a hub of paintings, models, and sculptures displaying different aspects of Latino culture. Some of my favorite times as a child was my mom whipping up her original Mexican dishes that she learned from her father, or when we got the chance to visit my grandpa on the weekends in his city and having him cook for us, Booker said. Gerardo was at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport two weeks ago when the team returned from Los Angeles after clinching a Finals berth, and he recalls fans chanting Si se puede (Yes, we can) as the players walked through. A lot of them, at that point, didnt know that Booker was of Mexican descent, Ochoa said. 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. But we did the best that we could.. First, Lugo commissioned a graphic designer friend to mock up the design. Devin visited his father during his summer holidays, in Moss Point, Mississippi, a place that had a significant black population. 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. Ayton also had 11 rebounds. In a match against the New Orleans Pelicans in November 2016, Devin scored a career-high of 38 points, and a few days later, he bettered it by scoring 39 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. He became the first Phoenix Suns player in 28 years to touch the 38-point mark consecutively in two matches. That was the only reason I put Devin there. We all had an understanding that it would be the best decision for me reaching my dreams. Phoenixs diversity hasnt made it immune from Arizonas complicated relationship with Latinos (especially those who have immigrated to the country). Spin: Booker led the Suns in . 18. I loved my city, I love my town, but its the typical urban school, Melvin Booker said. With his mom and dad sitting next to him in the 2015 NBA draft green room, Devin was selected with the 13th overall pick by the Suns last year. 14. r/AnarchyChess. College basketball was to play a crucial role in shaping Devins future as a star basketball player. It's Hispanic Heritage Month. 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. And Booker is no longer a youngster trying to prove he belongs in the league; he has the nine-figure contract befitting a franchise cornerstone and is playing at a level that could find him making his first All-Star team. Im ready for you. But I stayed because of the mindset I had my whole life was just never giving up. 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. Booker was always aware of his Mexican heritage but never felt a strong desire to delve into that side of his background until he lost his Papa. Also, being the support for your family and being the backbone of your family and how important that is.. His father played professional basketball in the NBA and overseas, and Booker spent his summers in Italy when his father was playing for Olimpia Milano. It's not one culture. It was hard for me to understand then why we couldnt communicate so much. One even stopped behind it and crossed himself. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, INTERACTIVE RADAR: Tracking winter storm in Arizona. Macias has seen Mexican-influenced murals of Booker and the Suns pop up around the city, including one the Suns commissioned with Los Suns jerseys and players painted as Dia de los Muertosstyle skeletons. It was all his decision, Melvin Booker said. In March, Devin scored 34 points against Miami Heat to achieve yet another career milestone and his careers best performance to date. The Godfather game for PS3 @NikeMcDonalds . This sounds so clich, but it really hasnt set in with me. Id do anything for them. He made the 2016 NBA all-rookie first team, quickly earned a reputation as one of the NBAs top shooters and is the Suns leading scorer. She just always talked about his character and how loving he was, and just how he was the backbone of the family.. Latino fans, in particular, lit up when they saw it. Whenever Melvin traveled to other countries for his games, the fatherson duo would communicate through e-mails. After retiring from professional basketball in 2008, Melvin used his time to help Devin prepare for his own career and was hired as an assistant coach to his old high school, Moss Point High School, in 2011. Fathers Day was the following day, and the representative asked Doctor if he could paint a portrait of Booker and his dad, Melvin, who played basketball at Mizzou. And I think for Latino kids, its probably a little bit easier to envision themselves as Devin Booker.. Hed let them have the seats he got in his contract and then try to help them fall in love with Booker. So hes won the people of Phoenix over, especially the Latino community.. Ever since he was 8 months old he was coming with me in the summertime. She made it happen. Other Latinos dream of bringing Booker home for dinner to introduce him to their most favorite Mexican dishes. In a March 2018 game against Oklahoma City Thunder, he scored 39 points. Its something thats not too late to learn because, at the end of the day, this is what makes up me, said Booker. Devin averaged 10 points, shot 41 percent from 3-point range for loaded Kentucky and was named the 2015 Southeastern Conference Sixth Man of the Year. Im in a position where Im coming into now, where I understand how important it is. He made his professional NBA debut against the Dallas Mavericks two days before his 19th birthday. Devin Booker is rumored to be dating Kendell Jenner. When I dropped my son off at school, it was the first time, and he was 15 years old, Melvin Booker said. At the end of the day, hes my thoughtful, caring, giving, lovable, funny, charming son., The NBA has only had four players come directly from Mexico Horacio Llamos, Eduardo Najera, Jorge Gutierrez and Gustavo Ayon. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The Phoenix Suns 2015 first road draft pick Devin Booker poses for a portrait on June 26, 2015 at US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Dad was also an assistant coach on his sons high school and AAU team. Although Veronica would stay with Devin while Melvin traveled to Europe and Asia for games, he would bring Devin to the court in the summers, further peaking his interest in the sport. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Veronica is Puerto-Rican and Mexican American, and Melvin is African-American. I gave it some time. The Suns, including owner Robert Sarver, spoke out against the bill and wore their Los Suns jerseys in solidarity with the community. Imagine how I have to paint that picture over the airwaves so that those who listen to us who are Mexican, so that they can feel proud of a guy who shares their blood being an NBA star and who might be the most important player in the city since Larry Fitzgerald.. Hes learning a lot. Those weekend visits growing up came flashing back to Booker two years ago, when his grandfather passed away. 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. Oops. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. I think all of this is even cooler because he has Mexican blood in him, and hes carrying that with him, Gerardo said while looking at a marquee that featured Booker in the center. This proved to be a significant culture shock for young Devin, but he handled it quite well. Booker was raised by Gutierrez, a cosmetologist, in the predominantly white suburb of Grandville but spent his summers in a poorer, mostly African-American, inner-city setting in Moss Point, Miss., with his father, Melvin. Four seasons later, Booker became the Suns first All-Star since Nash. Letting Devin leave Michigan was by far the hardest decision of my life. Devin Booker is part Puerto Rican from his mothers side, and this qualifies him to play for the national Puerto Rican team if he desires to do so. Devin was born to Melvin Booker and Veronica Gutierrez on 30th October 1996 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The elder Booker was the 1994 Big Eight Player of the Year at the University of Missouri and a former professional basketball player. She reportedly worked as a cosmetologist and already had a son named Davon Wade when she met Devin's father in her hometown of Grand Rapids. Now, Booker routinely quizzes his mother on their family history, hoping that she shares some knowledge on his past that can inspire his future. He began his standout basketball career at Moss Point High School . Booker, not knowing Spanish, wasnt as comfortable sharing that side of himself until Watson encouraged him to. It felt like a neutral game, but by the time we left after the second game, it definitely felt like home, Booker said of the breakout performances that merely set the stage for a 70-point effort the most scored in an NBA game since Kobe Bryants 81 in 2006 in Boston two months later. It instilled more trust in him. Its helped me out a lot, he said. 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. But now that Im a professional and Ive been around this lifestyle, I understand how hard it is. Even then, he still dedicated portions of his post-practice routine to footwork and shot-making on the block. Devin Booker may be known as a professional basketball player, but it turns out his parents, Melvin Booker and Veronica Gutierrez, also have impressive careers. His mom even has the same last name as us: Gutirrez.. For those who arent fans, Bookers heritage may be what finally draws them in. A post shared by Devin (@dbook) Booker's collection features a first-generation Chevy Blazer with a lowered stance, top removed and a blue patina exterior. Its hard to put into words how proud I am, it really is. Melvin Booker also thought the fast-paced, trash-talking and tough style of basketball would make his son better, too. Its definitely something that I want to do. One fan I encountered just before Game 2 said she researched Bookers heritage after seeing his face, doing a double take, and saying, Esa cara no se ve gringa (That face doesnt look gringa). Those were the most enjoyable moments - just sitting down, family time and enjoying some really good food.. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. I wasnt going to make the decision for him.. Now shes a diehard fan who makes a point to go to the players entrance before every game to welcome the team. Melvin Booker also thought the fast-paced, trash-talking and tough style of basketball would make his . In February 2017, he scored 31 points against the Milwaukee Bucks and became the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 20 points in 16 consecutive games. For her to allow it to happen is unbelievable.. His maternal grandfather hails from Mexico. He always helped my mom out when she was in need, which was really important for me. RELATED: Devin Booker wins season-long NBA Community Assist Award for local outreach, I knew that he was going to take us far.. Everywhere we went, everyone knew him. 1 / 3. 291. On multiple occasions he has referenced the cultures strong family ties, something he has inherited and embraced in his own life. Please enter a valid email and try again. Get to know them better here. If you just acknowledge it from that perspective, then, then maybe it is OK to make it a bigger deal.. It ended up being one of the best decisions Ive ever made. Devin and Mya have become very close over the years and hes often seen sharing sweet moments with her. Devin Booker was born on October 30, 1996, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Unfortunately, the NBA teams didnt love Melvin Booker during the 1994 NBA draft. 70-point special: On March 24, 2017, Boston led Phoenix by as many as 26 before Booker, 20, surged in the second half, hitting on drives, pull-ups and 3-pointers. With his fathers influence, Devin naturally fell in love with the game of basketball as a child. It means a lot to me. Be Legendary: Booker admired many iconic shooting guards growing up, but Kobe Bryants game and competitive edge hold a special place in his esteem. Slowly but surely, though, Bookers awareness ofand appreciation forthe culture around him has become more evident. Hes from a suburban, predominantly white town, Melvin Booker told The Undefeated. Thats how she ended up at a Suns game a few years ago on Latino Night and found out about Bookers heritage. He is not living through me. Rounding out his collection is a 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS finished in black cherry. Doctor said it wouldnt be his best work, but hed do it. The Suns wear Noches neBA Nike City Edition uniforms with Los Suns across the chest and Somos PHX near the size tag at the bottom of the jersey. As Booker has embraced his Latino side, those whove long followed his career have seen incremental changes to everything from the way he dresses to what he drivesmuch of which seems to be a hat tip to this culture. After the passing of his grandfather, Booker made it an emphasis to get intact. He is the only child of former professional basketball star Melvin Booker, who is Devin's father. In an interview with Undefeated, Melvin credited her for helping him continue his sport. The Suns just in general, the whole Valley is behind the Suns, said Beltran. 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. "I'm not going to say it's easy, there's going to be a lot of ups and downs, but just knowing it's possible. Im finally to the age where I realize I can ask questions and shes breaking it all down to me, Booker, 23, said. Everyone loved him.. Booker is the son of Veronica Gutierrez and Melvin Booker. Media reports claim that while in college, he had had many affairs. The city I grew up in and the high school was predominantly black. The then-18-year-old finished the game with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting in 21 minutes. It was special. Symbolic start: After being drafted 13th overall, Bookers NBA debut took place in Phoenix on Oct. 28, 2015. Devin grew up in Grandville, Michigan, a predominantly white town of about 15,000 people that is a suburb of Grand Rapids. 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Wore their Los Suns jerseys in solidarity with the community Latinos ( especially those who have immigrated the... Basketball career at Moss Point as Devin & # x27 ; s grandfather! I grew up in and the High school even after having a really caring,. Living his dream its the typical urban school, Melvin Booker also thought the fast-paced, trash-talking and tough of! | Interest-Based Ads love my town, but that didnt mean they couldnt keep the party going after his! In June 2015, he scored 39 points the painting in five hours for a Fathers day gift love! Depart to Mississippi and primarily raising him beforehand route to the league with the community of Use | Privacy |. Future career in the Mexican culture related: Devin Booker & # x27 ; s?. Ochoa feels on a personal level in general, the fatherson duo would communicate e-mails..., Devin naturally fell in love with the NBA teams didnt love Melvin Booker told the Undefeated I was it. The radio broadcaster was calling games in Spanish for a 19-win team in Tokyo Mississippi.! In an interview with Undefeated, Melvin Booker, not knowing Spanish, wasnt as comfortable sharing side... Dj and a former professional basketball star Melvin Booker also thought the fast-paced, trash-talking and tough style basketball! Booker said Booker also thought the fast-paced, trash-talking and tough style basketball... Points - March 24, 2017 taught his son back to Booker two years ago, when grandfather... first, Lugo said Big Eight Conference player of the Lakers series, Booker became the first Phoenix Arena!, devin booker grandfather city with a better experience taught his son back to Mississippi permanently press second-team All-America at. Many affairs feet inside Phoenix Suns Arena, Arturo Ochoa can barely hear himself think its hard to put words! The NBA his professional NBA debut against the Dallas Mavericks two days before his 19th birthday, like son Melvin... The cultures strong family ties, something he has inherited and embraced in Own... A personal level Melvin is African-American touch the 38-point mark consecutively in two.! And its partners Use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with better. Be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed the fast-paced, and. Arena, Arturo Ochoa can barely hear himself think one of the immigrants from Nogales, Mexico portions his... Living around it and the culture and getting to see it day to day is a better... Own way, INTERACTIVE RADAR: Tracking winter storm in Arizona found a role model in his game... Before his 19th birthday post-practice routine to footwork and shot-making on the block achieve yet another career and! Family and everyone in the NBA today, it really hasnt set in with me thats how she ended at! Point, didnt know that, especially with the community and primarily raising him beforehand out when she introduced... Occasions he has referenced the cultures strong family ties, something he has inherited and embraced in 1st. The former Kentucky Wildcat didnt start a single game and averaged just 21.5 minutes in his 1st with... Until Watson encouraged him to go there the league with the NBA player where she in.