Devin Booker has become a staple in the Phoenix community and throughout Arizona since first arriving in The Valley in 2015. Throughout his ever-continuing charitable efforts and willingness to give back, Booker has made a game-changing impact in Phoenix and the NBA has taken notice.
The 23-year-old received the November NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente in recognition of his efforts to impact the lives of local children and families through his Devin Booker Starting Five initiative.
“I was very excited about that,” Booker said. “I thank Phoenix Suns Charities, my brother Davon, he's on the board there, Sarah [Krahenbuhl], the head of it. We all had this vision of the Devin Booker Starting Five and the organizations that we wanted to use.”
After signing an extension with the Suns last season, Booker wanted to further his commitment to the team and the city that supports him by pledging to donate $500,000 a year over the following five years ($2.5 million total) to Phoenix Suns Charities. He tipped-off the annual campaign in November as he personally surprised five local non-profits as the first recipients of the Devin Booker Starting Five grants, awarding each non-profit with $100,000 to continue their work in the community.
“It all came to light and it turned out amazing,” Booker said. “All the organizations loved it and them showing me what they're going to do with the grant was unbelievable, the things that they're going to do and the changes that it's going to make.”
Booker has shined on the court for the Suns over the last five years as he looks well on his way to earning his first All-Star nod of his career this season, but his dedication off the court has seemingly played just as critical of a role for the city of Phoenix.
“Everywhere I go in Phoenix, I see Booker uniforms,” Head Coach Monty Williams said. “That says a lot about what this community and what children in general feel about Devin and his impact here. You feel it when you’re around town, when I’m at my kids’ school. Young kids around this town say ‘Book’. They don’t say ‘Devin Booker’ they say ‘Book.’ That means a lot to this organization, but it certainly means a lot to these kids who look up to him.”
Booker isn’t even halfway through his fifth season in the NBA, but has already been responsible for over 19 different charitable efforts (and those are just the ones that have been made public). Below is a breakdown by season of many of the events that Booker has been a part of to further assist the Phoenix community and give back to those in need.
2015-16:
- Thanksgiving volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul
- Visit to Jr. Suns league
- Special Olympics Clinic at Talking Stick Resort Arena
- NBA Draft Lottery trip with Suns’ superfan, Jenna
- Phoenix Children’s Hospital visit
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital team visit in Memphis
2016-17
- “Shop with Book” event at Dick’s Sporting Goods
- NBA Draft Lottery trip with Special Olympics athlete, Noah
- KaBOOM! Playground Build
- Thanksgiving volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul
- Phoenix Children’s Hospital visit
2017-18
- Shop with Book at Dick’s Sporting Goods
- Assisted with Thanksgiving boxes at St. Mary’s Food Bank
- Phoenix Children’s Hospital visit
2018-19
- “Shop with Book” event at Finish Line
- Phoenix Children’s Hospital visit
- $2.5 Million pledge to Phoenix Suns Charities
2019-20
- Launch of Devin Booker Starting Five
- “Shop with Book” event at Finish Line
Whether it’s taking underprivileged children shopping for the holidays, spreading joy to kids at Phoenix Children’s hospital or donating substantial grants to non-profits in need, Booker has always made it an emphasis to give back.
“I don’t think it’s said enough how good of a guy Devin is,” Williams said. “He’s been tremendous since I’ve been here and he’s been that even before I came… When I heard about the amount of money he’s giving to the fund here, I just thought to myself, ‘Who does that?’ That’s a lot of money to pour into a community.”
Giving is just part of the nature that makes Booker the person he is. With the holiday season approaching, many of his Suns teammates were asked who on the team is the best gift giver. The answer? Devin Booker.
“I guess that’s a good reputation,” Booker said with a smile when he found out. “I like that.”
At just 23 years old and only five years into his career, Booker has already accomplished so much in Phoenix as he begins to etch his name into the history books. He currently has the highest scoring performance of any active player in the league and recently moved into 13th on the Suns all-time scoring list, but for Booker, basketball goes beyond the hardwood as he continues to use his platform to impact the lives of others.
“Just giving, putting smiles on people's faces always gives me a better feeling than any accomplishment or accolade that I can reach personally,” Booker said. “I know my purpose is bigger than what it seems and just playing basketball and just affecting people's lives directly and making changes in this world every day that I can is what I try to do.”
Through repping his jersey, cheering from the stands and showing constant support, the Phoenix community has embraced Booker from day one and he feels “it's my due diligence to give back.”
His recent donation as part of The Devin Booker Starting Five will allow the five non-profits to address critical areas of need, including the construction and refurbishment of facilities, expansion of family services, improved patient support and investments in research.
In addition to his financial support, Booker will provide special experiences and meet other organizational needs throughout the year. To brighten the holidays, he planned a shopping spree for families from UMOM, served as a guest coach with the Ability 360 wheelchair basketball team and participated in Special Olympics Arizona’s Guardian Games. Since arriving in Phoenix in 2015, Booker has consistently and passionately served the community and those in need, making annual visits to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, participating in events with Special Olympics Arizona, and selecting deserving youth to accompany him at the 2016 and 2017 NBA Draft Lottery.
“Giving back to the community has been a commitment of mine since the day I was drafted and I’m extremely proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish here in Phoenix,” Booker said. “Launching the ‘Booker Starting Five’ was a dream come true for me, my greatest assist to date. I’m blessed to be in a position to make a significant impact and I can’t wait to watch this program change lives for years to come."