Phoenix Suns Star Devin Booker Snubbed Once Again in Major Discussion

Phoenix Suns superstar Devin Booker is no stranger to facing disrespect when discourse around his career arises. 

The five-time All-Star spent the first several seasons of his career facing labels and narratives that boxed in how high his ceiling was at the time. 

Now, the Kentucky product faces a completely different form of disrespect through another means.

In this case, Jason Jones of The Athletic is labeling Booker's possible jersey retirement in Phoenix as "almost certain to happen." This places the 6'5" guard below 22 perceived locks, including players far less impactful to their franchise (Anthony Davis with the Los Angeles Lakers), which raises real debate about what to prioritize in these conversations.

The main argument in this case rests around Booker evading the coveted ring that also evades the Suns' franchise at-large. Sure, Booker did not win the 2021 NBA Finals. He also has been unable to take Phoenix back to these heights since. 

This isn't a knock on Booker's peers, but Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) and DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors) are in the top tier despite failing to win titles for their respective franchises. This demonstrates that a player's image is crucial in determining conclusions such as jersey retirements.

Sure, winning is above all else, but Booker's impact on the franchise transcends winning to the level that those aforementioned have. The 29-year-old guard revitalized the shared passion for basketball amongst Phoenix natives over the last 10 years. He is now the all-time leading scorer for the franchise, and is swiftly climbing the leaderboard in other statistical categories as well. Hit leadership and commitment to his craft is instrumental in bringing Chris Paul and Kevin Durant to Phoenix.

Beyond this, Booker is a cultural icon in Phoenix. His signature shoe drops, changing of his jersey number to #15, and trips to Sedona become the talk of town. He has truly become bigger than basketball in Phoenix. 

Time will tell if/when Booker's #1 jersey gets retired. As time goes on, there's a stronger chance that the #13 overall pick in the 2015 draft sees both jerseys get retired rather than seeing no long-term recognition.

All in all, Booker is a likely Hall of Fame player. He is an icon in Phoenix, and is also posturing himself to be among the all-time leading scorers in NBA history as the prime years of his career ultimately go on.