Devin Booker put up the numbers and heard the praise that made him the best Suns rookie in over a decade. He also earned the respect of his peers, both teammates and opponents.
"I had a pretty good rookie year, so I don’t want it to be known as a fluke season," Booker said.
The odds of that happening are low. The 19-year-old guard should only get better now that he knows what is waiting for him in Year Two of his NBA Career. He said that the Suns training staff has given him a list of offseason workouts and practices to better hone his skills and strengthen his body.
Booker will need the preparation, especially if he is to keep building on the foundation he has already set. Some of his first-year performances -- including six 30-point games -- put him in the same company as former teenage phenoms LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant.
The significance of those early accomplishments -- and the trajectory they indicate -- is not lost a player who grew up idolizing his predecessors. Rather than being in awe, however, Booker is motivated to stay on the same pace those living legends have maintained throughout their respective careers.
"It means if I don’t live up to those expectations," Booker said, "I’m going to feel like I failed myself…It makes me want to work that much more."
Booker does allow himself some wind-down time. An avid NBA 2K fan, the young Suns prospect admitted he's a fan of playing as himself and his teammates.
"I’m still playing 2K, and obviously I pick the Suns," he laughed. "We’re actually pretty good if we have everybody healthy on there."