Bryant made time to talk to Booker after their final matchup, signing a pair of his Kobes with the metaphorical passing the torch phrase: “be legendary.” Booker has pretty much worn Kobe sneakers since.
During Bryant's final season, he signed a pair of Nike Kobe 11s for the Phoenix Suns guard and left the. The two crossed paths in Devin’s rookie season, which was Kobe’s farewell season. Booker has worn the updated shoes during the regular season and 2021 NBA Finals games. The shoe is potentially a precursor for a signature shoe under Booker. The comparison is not lost on Book, who idolized Kobe growing up. Nike, Suns Devin Booker Debut New Basketball Shoe.
Of course 1st on that list is Kobe Bryant and his 81 points. Devin dropped 70 points on the Celtics, the 10th highest points in a game at the time and 3rd highest since 1990. Book came in 3rd but the “long-lost” Splash Brother comparisons were made.įrom there, Book’s individual accolades grew with a 3-Point Contest win in 2018 and one of the wildest scoring outbursts against Boston in 2017. Of course, he was matched up with none other than reigning NBA champions Curry and Thompson. A lot of the attention was paid to that year’s Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns, but Devin’s shooting prowess saw him surprisingly in the final round of the 3-Point Contest. The comparisons would come fast, in Booker’s rookie year in fact.ĭ-Book’s name was put on the map halfway through the 2015-16 season after being drafted by the Phoenix Suns. In the era of the likes of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, it’s easy to overlook some of the other great shooters in the NBA.