How Devin Booker’s purposeful work ethic prepared him for the biggest stretch of his basketball life
Devin Booker emerges from the Footprint Center tunnel at exactly 5 p.m., and begins to dribble sharply on the far baseline.
As the Phoenix Suns’ All-Star guard shifts the ball between each hand, player development assistant Corey Vinson slaps at his arms. At the same time, video room intern Jack Gentry leans on Booker’s thighs. Bookers eyes remain locked forward, unfazed by the deliberate attempts to disrupt his rhythm and create physical resistance.
The 24-year-old Booker would go on to drop 40 points in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the second consecutive outing he reached that scoring threshold on the league’s biggest stage.