Devin knows how he did this.
Last night one of the biggest things to ever happen to the game of Basketball was immortalised in stone. In Los Angeles the Lakers honoured their massive center of Hall of Fame attention, Shaquille O’Neal with a statue of his signature breakaway, two-handed, knees bent dunk hung outside the balcony of their amazing STAPLES Center arena. Former teammate and friend Kobe Bryant lead a chorus of legendary Lakers paying tribute to a man perhaps even more of a force than former Laker big man Wilt Chamberlaian who scored 100 points in a single game, but is yet to be set in bronze by the Buss brass like former teammate Jerry West and 80’s Showtime runners Magic and Kareem.
But meanwhile whilst that was happening under the Californian sun something much more dominant than the ‘Most Dominant Ever’ was occurrng across the Pacific from the ashes of Phoenix. As against the storied Boston Celtics and their MVP big gunner, former PHX, Isaiah Thomas, Phoenix Suns player Devin Booker made history and his story, rising to the great games occasion with 70 points.
Yes…you read that right!
70!
70 points.
We really are living in the 2K age as this milestone for a kid barely out his teens was almost like the 20 year old was playing a video game back in his college dorms.
Take it back a year and a day ago on the 23rd of March 2016 and Kobe Bryant-who worked out with the sophomore the Lakers could have drafted if they didn’t go with running mate D’Angelo Russell-told Booker to “be legendary”. And yesterday a year and change later Devin sent him a reply by doing just that, only 10 and 1 points less than Kobe Bryant’s Wilt following 81 points back in 2006.
Against the Boston Celtics team of all legendary franchises. After this historic game, the youngest player to reach such an accolade put himself in the legendary lore of the same 70 plus club of G.O.A.T Michael Jordan and the David’s Thompson and Robinson. Holding up a piece of paper with 70 scrawled on it like Chamberlain’s iconic photo to go with his triple digit, record breaking and setting for half a century game. But this time being joined by a crowd of his teammates for an Instagram op that showed all the Suns shine together no matter whose the brightest.
Just think a couple of seasons ago everyone was talking about the muscle of Phoenix’s powerhouse player Eric Bledsoe being the next LeBron. But crowning all that it looks like Booker wants to be the next Black Mamba. And Devin who was born in 1996-the same year the Chamberlain chasing Kobe Bryant entered the NBA world-is also a 6 foot 6 inch shooting guard that now in his time lays claim to being the youngest player drafted with the 13th pick…lucky for some, just like Kobe. The similarities are as crazy as Devin Booker’s bewildering basketball game is. And after this Phoenix flame hit record temperatures last night, this Sun is scorching now.
And the heat is only going to keep rising for one of the youngest and best players in the NBA who will no longer be lost and underrated out in the Arizona desert.
Forget the social media hash-tag trends blowing up, this night belongs in the set in stone records of hoop history.
And just in case you wanted to know the Suns beat the Celtics 130-120 that game in Boston.
Book it!
