Devin Booker Becomes Phoenix Suns’ All-Time Leading Scorer

Devin Booker has officially passed Phoenix Suns legend Walter Davis for the most points in franchise history. Breaking the mark of 15,666 career points took him 642 regular season games in a Suns uniform, 124 fewer than Davis played.

Even crazier: Booker is still 346 games from being the Suns’ all-time leader in that category, currently held by Alvan Adams.

So, yeah, the 28-year-old has made the most out of his years in the Valley. That’s a lot of buckets scored in a relatively quick amount of time.

The scoring record had belonged to Davis since April 5, 1986 – almost 39 years – until Booker took the crown.

He crosses this milestone during his hottest stretch of the season, averaging 29.8 points on 62.7% true shooting over the last 14 games.

However, this moment is about more than Booker’s on-court brilliance and longevity with the Suns.

Yes, it solidifies him as the greatest Sun to ever don purple and orange, which shouldn’t be a controversial statement at this point. His loyalty to the franchise is unmatched and his stellar offensive production had them two wins from an NBA title just a few years ago.

But when it comes to career achievements of this magnitude, it’s never just about the player.

The city of Phoenix has watched Booker evolve as a person, too. The fans have witnessed a quiet kid out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, mold into one of the community’s leaders. Someone that’s always willing to give back. Someone that embraces Phoenix’s culture, and one that values his Mexican heritage – further connecting him to the city and a large bulk of its population.

From every charity event throughout the community to park renovation focused on helping the youth, Booker makes Phoenix his priority.

Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer, who has only been around Booker for less than six months, already understands the impact the superstar guard brings to the Valley.

“You can see it, you go anywhere in the city and there’s Booker jerseys everywhere,” Budenholzer said. “There’s such a mutual – I feel like Devin gives a lot to the city, and he gives a lot on the court. The city sees it and appreciates it. There’s a real connection and appreciation because he’s been here through a lot. Any time you get drafted somewhere, you stay and have success, and you become a leader. I think that city always appreciates it.”

Booker isn’t the first franchise icon Budenholzer has coached.

Most notably, he spent five years alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo during the Milwaukee Bucks’ rise to championship contenders. He witnessed first-hand how the city cherishes Giannis, even before delivering the 2021 title. Fans become attached to generational talents that remain loyal to their teams, especially when that extends beyond a decade. When they’ve rooted for a player for so long and the athlete genuinely cares for the community, that relationship is unbreakable.

Before coaching Giannis, Budenholzer spent 16 years on the San Antonio Spurs’ coaching staff. There, he watched Tim Duncan, one of the 10 greatest players in history, become the type of leader every franchise dreams of having.

“It’s rare,” Budenholzer said. “I think when you come across them, you appreciate them. When you get to be around and coach a guy like Book every day – like Tim Duncan, or Giannis – those guys that are drafted and stay with teams, that are great players and great people. I think we’re all blessed to have Book in our life. As a coach, I feel that way for sure.”

Booker’s current teammate, Kevin Durant, built a similar connection in Oklahoma City from 2008 to 2016. He’s lived through it. And while Durant has only been in Phoenix for two years, he recognizes how pivotal Booker has been for the organization and fanbase.

In many ways, Booker is the constant. Seven different head coaches have cycled through Phoenix in the 10 years since he arrived. Seven.

He is the team’s stability.

“It’s just a perfect marriage,” Durant said. “Seeing someone from 18 years old all the way up to a young vet and young OG at 28. When you think of Phoenix, you think of Book. And when you think of Book, you think of Phoenix. It’s just a perfect match and he’s the perfect person to be the face of this franchise, leading them in all these statistical categories. He’s been a staple here for such a long time.”

KD wants to see the Booker-Suns connection extend another decade, too.

“Feels like he’s got 12 more years to play,” Durant laughed. “That will put him at 22 (seasons), and 40 years old. But that’s how much faith I have in his game and his growth. I know he loves being here.”

Booker’s journey to No. 1 on the list started October 28, 2015 against the Dallas Mavericks. And if you watch his first bucket now, nearly a decade later, it will remind you just how much his game has evolved.

Coming off a pindown on the weakside, Booker caught the ball at the foul line, squared his feet and elevated before knocking down a jumper:

Primarily known as a catch-and-shoot option, he expected to play an off-ball role upon arriving to Phoenix. He thought he would be their version of Ray Allen or Reggie Miller. After all, that’s how he thrived under John Calipari during his lone season at Kentucky.

In reality, he would expand his offensive repertoire more than he imagined. Booker eventually became a versatile scorer and one of the most talented off-the-dribble creators in the league.

Among the benefits of playing so many years without a reliable point guard was Booker learning how to run the offense. The Suns’ roster construction forced him into the role of “Point Book” more often than people anticipated, which allowed him to make plenty of mistakes, solve problems on the fly, and hone the skills necessary to lead a Finals team in the near future.

Fast forward to now, and Booker owns the individual scoring record in four different NBA arenas:

• TD Garden (Boston) – 70 points
• Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indiana) – 62 points
• Delta Center (Utah) – 59 points
• Footprint Center (Phoenix) – 58 points

Before you know it, he’ll quickly rise up the league’s all-time points leaderboard. He’s already up to 34th in terms of most games with 30-plus points. That’s with many years and miles left on his body.

His playoff performances have lived up to the superstar expectations, too. Scoring 601 points in the 2021 playoffs, he still has the NBA record for the most points in any player’s first postseason run.

That particular season, 2020-21, was Booker’s first time being introduced to stability. With coach Monty Williams at the helm, there was finally a winning culture in place. It allowed Booker to squash every silly narrative about him as a “good stats, bad team” player, and it gave him a taste of playoff intensity.

I recently caught up with Chris Paul, who played just shy of 200 games with Booker during that transformational period for Phoenix.

Paul joked that he was fortunate to be part of “a few of those buckets” when Booker crossed the 15,000 mark.

“I think everybody I come across, I always tell them Devin has the prettiest shot they’ve ever seen,” Paul said. “Knowing him the way I know him, it honestly makes me think about his dad, Melvin. Book talked a lot about how when he was younger, he had to go down to Mississippi and his dad would make him do this, do that. You know, the details – day in and day out. I think that’s what I appreciate about Book, the monotony of the drills. I’m never surprised by anything he does.”

Paul and Booker remain close friends, and both are grateful for the opportunity to share the floor.

With the two of them sharing the Suns’ backcourt, both were able to learn from one another. It was during their final season together, in 2022-23, that Booker started absorbing heavy traps and double teams when operating with the ball.

Paul was getting older and dealing with injuries at the time, placing Booker back into the role of point guard and testing his decision-making. That’s when everyone started noticing his unselfish nature, and when Paul was blown away with his ability to dissect a defense.

“He picks his spots and knows when to attack,” Paul said. “He knows when to get off the ball. You know, when you get better teams around you … then you learn how to build that trust.”

Paul tells me that he envisions Booker as one of the players who spends their entire career with one franchise, saying “that’s the goal for everybody.”

Growing up a major fan of Kobe Bryant and entering the league during the twilight of his, Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan’s careers, Booker saw the impact those franchise cornerstones carry in sports.

That’s what he’s aiming for in Phoenix.

Achieving this milestone at 28 years old speaks to the impressive development arc.

By year six, Booker had blossomed into a multi-level scorer with an ability to read coverages and generate quality looks for himself against any defender. Now in the prime of his career, it’s about sharpening those tools he’s developed and finding new counters that allow him to create advantages against quicker or more athletic wings. All while continuing to study the game and improve on the margins, which is something every veteran strives to do.

With three more years and $171 million under contract after this season, Booker will enter this next chapter of his career as the city’s biggest sports icon. But that’s nothing new.

He was already Mr. Phoenix before claiming this scoring record. This just cements him as the Bryant, Nowitzki, and Jordan of the Suns’ franchise – with plenty of years left to add more individual and team accolades to the résumé.