Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker has become the 22nd active NBA player to score 15,000 points in their career. He did so in Tuesday night’s NBA Cup victory over the San Antonio Spurs, in which he produced 29 points. Entering the game, Booker was on 14,999 points, but he quickly breached the 15k barrier with a jump shot 23 seconds in.
He is the ninth-youngest player to achieve this feat, joining an illustrious list of players that includes Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and his teammate Kevin Durant.
Book becomes the 9th youngest player in @NBA history to score 15K career points:
▪️ LeBron James
▪️ Kevin Durant
▪️ Kobe Bryant
▪️ Wilt Chamberlain
▪️ Michael Jordan
▪️ Carmelo Anthony
▪️ Giannis Antetokounmpo
▪️ Tracy McGrady pic.twitter.com/u1xoxtcIvl— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 4, 2024
Suns Star Devin Booker Joins Elite Company as He Eclipses 15k Points
Booker is One of the Best Scorers in the Game
While the record books now officially show it, Booker has long been one of the best scorers in the game. Though his early career was synonymous with losing, the then-youngster was scoring for fun. His famous 70-point outing at the Boston Celtics, albeit in a loss, saw him become the youngest player to score 60 and 70 points in a game at 20 years old. He has 34 games scoring 40+ points, the ninth-most of any player since his debut in 2015. His eight 50+ point games are the sixth-most. Last season, Booker produced three of the top 10 highest-scoring performances in the league.
As the Suns have improved over the years with help that first came in the form of Chris Paul and now includes Durant and Bradley Beal, Booker can no longer be associated with losing. He, alongside Paul, led their side to an NBA Finals appearance in his first-ever playoff run during the 2020-21 season. The years since have provided some painful postseason memories, and there has been plenty of change in the Suns’ rosters, but the one constant has been Booker. The Suns likely remain perennial contenders in the West as long as he is in Phoenix.
More Records in Sight
Booker’s place in Suns history has already been cemented, now in his 10th season with the franchise. He became just the second-ever player in franchise history to reach 15k points, joining the legendary Walter Davis. His number one jersey will one day go into the rafters, and he will hope that it will come with at least one championship, if not more. On reaching the milestone, Booker told reporters that it meant everything, especially to do it for a city where he has been since day one.
"It means everything."
Devin Booker on reaching 15K points as he brought in the game ball from Tuesday's win over Spurs.
Talked about the city's support and having his back from Day 1 as an 18 year old and how he grew up here. #Suns pic.twitter.com/7NXmQ4U5Jb
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 4, 2024
After joining Davis in the exclusive 15k club for the Suns, it is another of his records that Booker now has in his sights. Davis is the Suns’ record points scorer with 15,666, a number that will almost certainly be surpassed in the coming months. Booker currently has 15,028, meaning if he were to continue at his 25.0 points per game pace, the Suns could be crowning a new record scorer in late January.
Poor outings and struggles earlier in the campaign have brought down his points average. However, Booker seems to have stepped it up a level in recent performances. In his last seven games, he has averaged 29.6 points and looks more like the Booker fans expect. If he is to continue at this pace, he should break the record even sooner.
