Brooklyn Nets star Cameron Johnson recently made an appearance on JJ Redick’s The Old Man and the Three Podcast. The episode ended up being a treasure trove of intriguing NBA stories and anecdotes that the two players shared with each other. At one point during the show, Redick and Johnson started talking about the ‘killer’ mindset of Devin Booker that he supposedly borrowed from none other than Kobe Bryant himself. Redick recounted a story from his first season with the Philadelphia 76ers that showed just how much of a threat Booker can be as an offensive player.
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Redick had a brief stint with the 76ers for two years, from 2017 to 2019. On the other hand, Devin Booker was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 2015 as the 13th overall pick. Therefore, D-Book was only in his third year in the league when he visited the Wells Fargo Center in Philly to take on the Joel Embiid-led 76ers side. However, that didn’t stop him from dropping 46 points on Redick and the other Sixers defenders that night.
JJ Redick recounts how Devin Booker displayed his killer mentality with a lethal move
It is no secret that Devin Booker has been deeply inspired by the game and philosophy of Kobe Bryant. The Phoenix Suns star’s comparisons with the Mamba intensified a couple of years ago when he led the Desert franchise to the 2021 NBA Finals. However, they fizzled out after Book failed to show up in the Finals and had to concede the series and the Championship to the Milwaukee Bucks.
But JJ Redick recently pointed out that Booker’s ‘killer instinct’ is no joke. During his sit-down with Cam Johnson, he told the 27-year-old, “I remember we had a game in Philly my first year there. So this was 17-18. I wanna say he [Devin Booker] had 48, but he might have had 54. And we threw every defender at him.”
“He runs a high pick and roll. I defend it as well as I can defend it. And he picks up the ball and he does that Book thing, where he does the Kobe shot fake two or three times, and then just launches a three over me off balance. Well defended, well contested, and it goes in. And then I look at him and I see in his eyes that he is a f-ing killer…Like it’s not rocket science,” Redick added, describing the move that finally showed him Booker’s killer mindset.
Redick was referring to the Suns’ December, 2017 visit to the Wells Fargo Center. Booker had 46 points and 8 rebounds in just 39 minutes on the court. Phoenix ended up winning the contest 115-101.
Booker is frustrated with people comparing him to Kobe
Devin Booker never claimed to be the second coming of Kobe Bryant in the NBA. However, fans started to push that narrative as Booker started to gain prominence in the league. But these comparisons would soon become the weapon to criticize the three-time All-Star’s deficiencies on the hardwood.
All this prompted D-Book to lash out at people comparing him to Kobe. The 26-year-old claimed that people use the term ‘Mamba mentality’ far too loosely these days, with little to no justification.
