In 2016, Kobe Bryant signed a pair of shoes for Devin Booker and, in doing so, the legendary Los Angeles Lakers guard told Booker to “be legendary.” Four years later, Booker is enjoying the best stretch of basketball in his NBA career and, after a buzzer-beater to knock off the L.A. Clippers on Tuesday, the Phoenix Suns star keyed his team to another victory over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday.
Following the game, Booker shared that Bryant is still in his mind as he players.
“Kobe is with me every day”@DevinBook after dropping 20 points and 10 assists in a win over the Pacers.
(📹:@Suns)pic.twitter.com/RUmtqSC4S2
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) August 7, 2020
“Kobe’s with me every day,” Booker said. “You guys see what I put on my shoes, the ‘be legendary.’ That’s a reminder for me. Even without that reminder, it comes, through 24 hours, at least two or three times a day it crosses my mind, if not more.”
As Booker notes, he still writes “be legendary” on his shoes and it is clear that Bryant left an enormous impact on him, both on and off the floor. He is certainly not alone in the NBA world, but Booker’s willingness to share this sentiment is certainly interesting, especially within the bizarre circumstances of the bubble environment.
While the team success has not yet arrived for Booker, his game has matured tremendously in the last two seasons, with an uptick in efficiency and tangible improvement on the defensive end. Everything is coming together at an even higher level in the bubble as well, with the Suns posting a 4-0 record and flashing some of the team-wide upside they possess for the future.
