Player movement is more prevalent than ever in today’s NBA, and it’s not limited to the journeymen far down the bench. Even stars bounce from team to team in a way that we just didn’t see two, three, four decades ago. Look at LeBron James, who started with the Cavs, went to the Heat, then back to the Cavs and is now with the Lakers. The Rockets are Kevin Durant’s fifth team.
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These guys are all-time greats, but even they don’t have one franchise they can fully call their own. There are also many other players who either switch teams in free agency or force their way out via trade. There also seems to be external pressure to do so if a situation is anything less than optimal, as is being seen now with the fascination over Giannis Antetokounmpo and whether he’ll stay in Milwaukee.
One of Giannis’ opponents in the 2021 NBA Finals, Devin Booker, has bucked that trend. He’s spent his entire 11-year career as a Phoenix Sun, riding out the ups and downs (and there have been many) to become the face of the franchise.
Phoenix’s experiment with Booker, Durant and Bradley Beal blew up, and so now the team is starting from scratch. Well, almost, because Booker has been the one constant on the roster.
David Fizdale, who served as an assistant coach in Phoenix under both Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer, spoke about Booker’s connection with the franchise and the city on NBA TV last night. He predicted that unlike most stars today, Booker would spend his entire career in one place.
“We’ll probably have a statue outside that arena when it’s all said and done.” ☀️
David Fizdale and @JohnWall on Devin Booker’s growing legacy and impact on the Suns!
Booker and the Suns face the Clippers at tonight 9:00pm/et on NBA TV. pic.twitter.com/qFmItaJwx9
— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 7, 2025
“One of the big things to him is that he wants to retire a Sun,” Fizdale said. “I know they went through their bumps and their bruises trying to chase a ring … Now they’re licking their wounds, they’re repairing the team, rebuilding it around ‘Mr. Phoenix Suns.’ And if you see Devin Booker in the community in Phoenix, you will understand what he’s saying, because I got to see it,” he added.
“It’s a similar love that a Steph [Curry] or people that’s been with a team for a long time, D-Wade got, I got to see that in Miami, he gets that love in Phoenix, and will probably have a statue outside that arena when it’s all said and done,” explained Fizdale.
Booker has taken on the role of team leader during the Suns’ rebuild, and so far, the results have been about as good as their fans could hope for. He’s averaging over 30 points per game on over 50% shooting. To complement, he’s also dished out seven assists so far.
The Suns themselves have been a tough out, winning three of their last four after a 1-4 start, a stretch which includes handing the Spurs their first loss and beating the Clippers by double digits.
Booker has survived multiple coaching changes and a rotating cast around him. At this point, it looks like Fizdale is right, and he’ll be a Sun for life.
