The Summer Suns had a surprise guest during their Summer League training camp on Wednesday.
Devin Booker practiced with the team before their trip to Vegas this weekend. Having played in Summer League the past two seasons, Booker is ineligible to participate in 2017.
“That’s just the way our culture is,” Head Coach Earl Watson said. “For us, our guys have always been engaged in that way. So it’s nothing out of the norm here.”
Booker ran scrimmage with the summer roster and followed that with a series of coaching staff-led individual drills.
“He’s been around,” Watson continued. “He lives in Phoenix and is part of the community. He loves basketball. To take part in our Summer League training camp, it’s nothing unusual.”
Watson has been around many young stars throughout his career such as Damian Lillard, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, but he didn’t have to branch out far when asked if he had seen others be so involved in player development.
“Yeah, all the rest of his young teammates. They want to be involved. They’ve been engaged here every summer. Throughout the week we have eight-to-ten guys everyday here.”
Booker’s push to help improve his teammates has inspired players like Tyler Ulis who, although on the Summer League roster, is currently sidelined recovering from ankle surgery.
“As he was tying his shoes to get in, Tyler Ulis was trying to get in as well,” Watson said. “We told him he wasn’t ready yet. So it’s nothing unusual. It’s just the way it is here.”