Getting the tacos, like for realnot the ones in Michigan, not the ones in Missouri. A mural, commissioned by the Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center and painted by 17 artists, spans a city block and features everything from portraits of Selena, Cesar Chavez, and Carlos Santana to mariachi-playing skeletons and bright red lowriders. Growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, you don't get as much of it, besides the time that I spent with my grandpa and my mother, what she's passed down to us. That didnt stop him from shooting 41.1% from 3-point range in the Wildcats march to the Final Four. Im around [Latino culture] every day, Booker said the day after winning Game 1 of the Finals. Devin visited his father during his summer holidays, in Moss Point, Mississippi, a place that had a significant black population. I think its a combination of growing older and being exposed to more culture, Gutierrez wrote. Telephone conversations between father and son werent the norm during the elders playing days since international calls were very expensive. The only real time with communication I had with him were the two to three months out of the year when I would go down to Mississippi [in the summer]. Those were the most enjoyable moments - just sitting down, family time and enjoying some really good food.. After having Devin in 1996, she was often the one to spend time with him when Melvin traveled in different countries for his professional basketball career. The elder Booker was the 1994 Big Eight Player of the Year at the University of Missouri and a former professional basketball player. The 24-year-old Lugo had the one of the most coveted pieces of memorabilia in the house: a custom-made Mexican flag with a Suns logo in place of the shield, and Bookers face plastered on a prayer candle. father: Melvin Booker mother: Veronica Gutierrez Basketball Players American Men Height: 6'5" (196 cm ), 6'5" Males Ancestry: Mexican American City: Grand Rapids, Michigan U.S. State: Michigan Notable Alumni: University Of Kentucky More Facts Recommended Lists: American People Tall Celebrities Tall Male Celebrities Male Sportspersons Ever since he was 8 months old he was coming with me in the summertime. I meet a lot of people around the basketball business that talk about him like, People may not know who your father is, but he could hoop, Devin Booker said. I have a five-year goal thats definitely on there, Booker said. She just always talked about his character and how loving he was, and just how he was the backbone of the family.. Now, Booker routinely quizzes his mother on their family history, hoping that she shares some knowledge on his past that can inspire his future. His dad couldnt be prouder. Doctor said it wouldnt be his best work, but hed do it. It was all his decision, Melvin Booker said. I see that as a wink to us because I think he knows thats how we dress. Its unheard of for a player of the year in his conference and a second-team All-American to go undrafted for reasons I dont even know today. In April 2015, Devin decided to let go of the remaining years of college and signed up for the NBA draft. Melvin Booker also thought the fast-paced, trash-talking and tough style of basketball would make his son better, too. He also taught his son some tricks of the trade he developed on the pro level. Im finally to the age where I realize I can ask questions and shes breaking it all down to me, Booker, 23, said. His maternal grandfather was born in Mexico but migrated to Michigan. The couple did not marry but remained on good terms. If youre Mexican and you made it to the NBA, I can too, So, just trying to inspire in that type of way and keep representing the heritage. It's Los Suns for a reason, right? It increases the fandom, just because its someone you can relate to, said Jason Macias, a lifelong Suns fan who is a third-generation Mexican American. The preservation of a basketball legacy strengthened Melvin Bookers relationship with his son. Devin once ran into controversy when he asked a fans girlfriend to sit on his lap. When I saw that, I said he looks like one of my own uncles growing up, Vigil said. When you ask people around Phoenix when they became aware of Bookers Mexican heritage, everyone has a different answer: the 2017 game the Suns played in Mexico, or the one in 2019; through the video the team put out for National Hispanic Heritage Month last year; or just this past season, as the Suns became one of the best teams in the league and Booker became an even bigger star. A few print shops didnt have the right material, and some just outright refused to do it. From influencing his love of basketball, to showing him how to build a strong relationship, his folks are definitely a part of his success story. Melvin Booker was the epitome of cool when his son was selected, but inside the emotions were high. With Devin Booker falling in love with basketball as a child, he had an easy role model to follow in his father. Some of my favorite times as a child was my mom whipping up, you know, original Mexican dishes that she learned from her father or when we got the chance to visit my grandpa on the weekend.. From his seat inside a suite at Phoenix Suns Arena, Arturo Ochoa can barely hear himself think. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. In the 1990s, Latinos made up just 20 percent of Phoenixs population. The then-18-year-old finished the game with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting in 21 minutes. Melvin Booker averaged 28 points as a senior at Moss Point High and signed with the University of Missouri. Sometimes I would call and ask him, What did you do after practice? The following season, he was named to the All-NBA First Team and helped lead the Suns to a franchise record of 64 wins. Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this piece incorrectly stated that Bookers grandfather was born in Nogales, Mexico; he was born in Los Nogales. Let these kids know that, especially with the NBA today, its not one race. He would say, So you want me to practice for two hours and then you want to do more stuff? I said, Thats what you need to be great. I kind of knew he didnt have an idea, so thats when he came to me.. Booker 's parents met while father Melvin played semi-professional basketball for the local. Devin Booker got "Be Legendary" tatted on him. He convinced Gutierrez and Devin on a move to Mississippi before his sophomore year in high school so that he could be trained and prepared to play at a big-time college. For those who arent fans, Bookers heritage may be what finally draws them in. Spin: Booker led the Suns in . Devin was born to Melvin Booker and Veronica Gutierrez on 30th October 1996 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Phoenix didnt do well in his honor, losing to Dallas 111-95, but Booker provided an intriguing silver lining. Devin Booker said he owes his mom the world for allowing him to depart to Mississippi and primarily raising him beforehand. He wanted his son to join him to not only grow as a basketball player, but as a young man in Mississippi and learn a better work ethic. RELATED: Devin Booker wins season-long NBA Community Assist Award for local outreach, I knew that he was going to take us far.. For a mother to just let her son move with a father I didnt spend much time with She raised me most of my life. I think growing up, were usually in one part of the country, one region, the Midwest, West Coast kids, or from the south. Gutierrez allowed Booker, then 12, to visit his father one spring break in Milan, where the son played one-on-one with a future pro in Danilo Gallinari and showed the potential of being a special player. Melvin Booker also believed that his son would be much taller than him. Ive talked to my teammate Tyler Johnson about it. The Suns cut the deficit to 10 before ultimately falling 130-120, but not before Booker became the youngest player in league history to hit the 70-point mark. As of early 2021, Davon has an estimated net worth of around $500 thousand. Just because it was a Mexican thing, Lugo said, some places just said no right away, and they gave me a weird look.. The Latino community says they will stand behind him. With mom and dad by his side, Devin chose Kentucky in the blue chip recruiting class that also included current NBA players Karl-Anthony Towns, Trey Lyles and Tyler Ulis. The cheering can be heard throughout the Valley in English and Spanish. Me taking my visits from Missouri from eighth grade on, just the love that he got there is something that Ive never seen before. His father played professional basketball in the NBA and overseas, and Booker spent his summers in Italy when his father was playing for Olimpia Milano. But Booker says it was here in Phoenix where he first experienced the Mexican culture. Maybe its my Mexican roots, Booker said with a smile when he was asked how he was able to put up 39 points in back-to-back games there. Just around the corner from the Latino Arts and Cultural Center mural in downtown Phoenix stands the actual center, which is a hub of paintings, models, and sculptures displaying different aspects of Latino culture. Be Legendary: Booker admired many iconic shooting guards growing up, but Kobe Bryants game and competitive edge hold a special place in his esteem. Devin Booker is part Puerto Rican from his mothers side, and this qualifies him to play for the national Puerto Rican team if he desires to do so. He became the third-youngest player in the history of NBA to reach 4,000 career points. In a. Letting Devin leave Michigan was by far the hardest decision of my life. But that was the sacrifice I had to make to provide for him and my family as well., Devin Booker says his father is now one of his best friends.. Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker appear to be taking their relationship to the next level after a recent video showed the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star meeting Devin's grandmother. I owe her all the credit for allowing that to happen. Even so, he did have some lasting memories. After the passing of his grandfather, Booker made it an emphasis to get intact with his heritage and the surrounding Valley community gave him the perfect environment to do so. 3. They played video games together. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. In a November match against Montana State, Devin scored a season-high 18 points. Devin Booker remembers hopping in the car with his mother, Veronica Gutierrez, as she took a more than two-hour drive from their home in the suburbs of Grand Rapids, Mich., to Detroit to spend time with his Papa. Valdes says hes a diehard Suns fan, so finding out about Devin Bookers Mexican roots made him hopeful. That was the same night former Suns great and Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash saw his name and likeness enshrined in the franchises Ring of Honor at halftime. The couple never married and cooperatively co-parented their son who was predominantly with his mother due to his dads professional basketball career. Devin averaged 10 points, shot 41 percent from 3-point range for loaded Kentucky and was named the 2015 Southeastern Conference Sixth Man of the Year. I had to convince them that he had to move to Mississippi if he wanted to move to that next level, Melvin Booker said. When the team was at its low point, winning 21 and 19 games during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, Ochoa remembers friends from Sonora asking for tickets to see the visiting Kevin Durant or LeBron James. Most of the time with breaking records and such, he leaves me speechless, she wrote. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Devin Booker was born to play basketball as his father is a former professional basketball player. Devin Booker scored a franchise-record and NBA season-high 70 points on March 24, 2017. Gutierrez and her son said yes before his sophomore season. In March, Devin scored 34 points against Miami Heat to achieve yet another career milestone and his careers best performance to date. Melvin Booker of the Missouri Tigers dribbles the court during a game against the Kansas Jayhawks. 2023 ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Thanks, Pops: Bookers father, Melvin Booker, played professionally from 1994-2008, including for two seasons and three different NBA teams (Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors). At just 20 years old, Devin Booker became the youngest NBA player to record a 70-point game. If you count him as a Mexican, which Im going to do and I think a lot of us will, hes the best Mexican basketball player ever, said Mike Vigil, a third-generation Mexican American who hosts a Suns podcast called The Timeline. In 2010, Arizona passed the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, which allowed police officers to detain people based on profiling their appearance. Devin Booker Personal Life. 2K 38 Waru_ 1 day ago Los Suns, said Richard Valdes from Phoenix. I gave it some time. College basketball was to play a crucial role in shaping Devins future as a star basketball player. Its a night I will never forget, he said. As the Valleys oldest and most historic professional sports team, the Phoenix Suns have continuously strived to represent and connect with the surrounding Hispanic community that makes up the largest demographic in Phoenix. Booker has said in the past that this has been much easier for him to do in Phoenix, a city with a population. A shooting guard, Booker received a star status after being the 13th overall draft and being selected by Phoenix Suns. And once he did, Ochoa noticed Booker became more comfortable discussing it publicly, like he did when the Suns played in Mexico City in January 2017. His grandfather was an immigrant from Nogales, Mexico where he and his family stayed for decades. Oops. Spend some time in Phoenixespecially latelyand that last sentiment rings true. I also wanted him to be more of a role model to the kids to show that they could make it out of there. I got to see the guys like Michael Jordan play up close, Melvin Booker said. And hes been loyal. Like Devin, Melvin spent many years as a professional basketball player. I think for those of us that are Hispanic, there is even another layer to that. From his upbringing to being Gigi Bryant's favorite player, here's some things to know about the Hawks star. Going through it and playing at that level, I just told him all the pros and cons of all the schools that were recruiting him It was a decision that he was going to have to make and live with. Melvin Booker played in the American minor leagues for the Hartford Hellcats and Pittsburgh Piranhas and had two stints with Grand Rapids. The avid Suns fan attended the game at Footprint Center and met Suns All-Star Devin Booker 30 minutes before tip. The Suns, including owner Robert Sarver, spoke out against the bill and wore their Los Suns jerseys in solidarity with the community. 3-Point Contest: The league noticed Bookers shooting stroke immediately and invited its youngest player to participate in the 2016 Three-Point Contest. Devin quickly became a very good shooter and continued to grow to 6-foot-6. And for those who are fans already, well, its as Ochoa would say, cereza encima del pastel. Cherry on top of the cake. That was what made me. Hence, he became first player in the history of NBA to debut at 18 years of age, with at least one year of college basketball experience. In August 2011, Devin scored 17 points in the fifth game of the season, against Gulfport High School. His score was higher than the rest of his team combined. , cereza encima del pastel draft and devin booker grandfather exposed to more culture, Gutierrez wrote see! 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