Melvin Booker wasn’t a household name during his playing days in the NBA. However, Melvin is hugely responsible for developing his son–Devin Booker–into the superstar that we know the latter to be. On D’Angelo Russell’s podcast, the Phoenix Suns guard admitted that following his father’s regimen has allowed him to succeed on and off the floor.
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Ahead of the 2024 Olympics, Booker linked up with Russell. The two played golf and even worked out together, helping Booker prepare for the Paris Games. During an interaction from this meet-up, the Team USA member acknowledged his father for instilling a work ethic in him.
D’Lo asked, “When you first started playing? He put you on a regimen at a young age?”
Booker replied, “Yeah.”
To explain how tough his father was, Booker narrated a story from his childhood.
D-Book would always have socks lying on the floor of his room. Wanting his son to leave a good impression on guests who would come home, Melvin would make sure Devin cleaned up.
Booker recollected, “Well, I’d leave a sock on the floor. He’d walk by. Chores. My room was the first one when people come through the garage. I’d have a sock. He’d be like ‘Right, so this is what we’re gonna do?’”
Towards the end of this segment, D’Lo explained what his friendship with Booker meant to him. Shedding light on the former Wildcat’s personality, Russell admits to picking certain positive traits whenever they meet.
“Knowing him over on the court and off the court over time, I found myself following that, following his blueprint in a way. Like, how he talks to people, how he communicates, how he compliments. You know, how good of a person he is.
Just, you find ways like that that people offer and they don’t know they’re offering it and you recognize it and you put it in your own little bag. And I always appreciated this relationship for that because I always feel like I’m learning something when we link,” Russell said about their bond.
Melvin made sure that his son was well-known for being a kind-hearted person. Devin Booker is also often lauded for his generous nature by most of his peers. Getting lauded for the same, the Suns combo guard has his father to thank for it.
At the same time, Melvin has always been responsible for planning Devin’s workouts. These unique regimes helped Booker finish high school as a five-star recruit, join the University of Kentucky, and ultimately become one of the best shooting guards in the NBA.
