Game 2 of the 2021 NBA Finals is in the books, and Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker couldn’t have wished for a better outcome. The Suns beat the Milwaukee Bucks 118-108 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. Booker scored a team-high 31 points and had six assists and five rebounds in the win. He also shot 7-12 from behind the three-point line.
“I think we’re prepared for this moment,” Booker said during a press conference after the second game of the series. “Milwaukee is going to make it tough on us, but we’ve seen a lot as a team.”
In 2015, Booker, whose mother is Mexican-American, was selected as the 13th overall pick by the Suns in the NBA Draft. He spent one year playing basketball at the University of Kentucky, where he averaged 10 points, two rebounds, and one assist per game.
The 24-year-old shooting guard went on to deliver more standout numbers for his team. This season, he led the Suns to the second-best record (51-21) in the Western Conference with a team-high 25.6 points per game average. He’s averaging 27 points in the playoffs. The team’s trip to the NBA Finals is their first since 1993.
Off the court, the star athlete has spoken proudly about his Latinidad and its impact. In a video for Hispanic Heritage Month last year, Booker explained what it was like as more and more NBA fans found out that he was Latino. “I get on social media, and you start seeing younger kids of Hispanic descent that are reaching out to me and saying, ‘You’re my favorite player. If you’re Mexican and you make the NBA, I can,'” Booker says in the video. “That’s really important inspiration coming from the other side that I’ve been on of looking up to people and knowing I can get there because of that.”
Here are five facts you should know about Booker as the NBA Finals continue. Game 3 takes place Sunday, July 11 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
Mexican Roots
Booker is one of only two players currently playing in the NBA who is part Mexican — Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson being the other.
Big Scorer
In March 2019, Booker became the youngest player (22 years and 148 days old) in NBA history to score at least 50 points in consecutive games. He scored 59 points on March 25, 2019, against the Utah Jazz and 50 points two nights later against the Washington Wizards. In March 2017, Booker scored a career-high 70 points against the Boston Celtics.
Card Shark
Booker grew up playing cards. He says Spades was initially his go-to game, but since joining the NBA, he’s learned how to play Bourré, a trick-taking gambling card game.
Hot Wheels
Booker collects vintage cars. He’s been showing up to games during this year’s playoff run driving his classics. He showed up to Game 1 of this year’s Western Conference semifinals in a Chevrolet Caprice with gold rims.
Keeping Up with a Kardashian
The Suns shooting guard is currently dating model and media personality Kendall Jenner. “I actually don’t only date basketball players, if anyone’s ever done their research, but I’m not ashamed that I have a type,” Jenner said in the final reunion episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. “I’m also just a genuine basketball fan, so that’s just kind of happened.”