At just 27 years old, Devin Booker has already had an incredible career. If he were to retire today, he would likely be inducted into the Hall of Fame at some point, and he could also be the best player in franchise history.

He won two gold medals with Team USA and will return to the Valley with Kevin Durant in 2024-25 with big goals in mind. The fact that Durant chose Phoenix as his destination to likely spend the rest of his playing career had more to do with Booker than anything else, and the same could be said for Chris Paul during his time with the Suns.

It will be extremely difficult to actually put himself in a position to win this award, as it has long been dominated by centers. The last non-big man to win the award was James Harden, back in the 2017-18 season. Since then, Nikola Jokic (three times), Giannis Antetokounmpo (twice) and Joel Embiid have taken it home. But Booker has a chance to change that next season.

It’s been easy for casual NBA fans — or just fans who don’t like or support the Suns — to criticize Booker’s play in the past. Yes, he spurred a great Suns group on an 8-0 run in the NBA bubble, but they didn’t even make the postseason.

Sure, Booker made it to the NBA Finals in 2021, but he didn’t manage to get over the hump. Unlike similar players like Jamal Murray and Jayson Tatum, who both got their chips in already. Plus, that run was as much thanks to Paul and Deandre Ayton (that feels like a long time ago now…) as it was to Booker’s stellar scoring.

That changed at the Paris Olympics this summer. Booker’s attitude and willingness to defend at an elite level and take a lot of shots endeared him to those who hadn’t seen him before or just didn’t care about him. Booker was just doing what he’s always done – he defends in Phoenix, you know – only now everyone could witness it.

That helps him tremendously in proving himself as an MVP. Coming back to the Suns after winning an Olympic gold medal and leading a team to a championship is a compelling story. Even though fans don’t like to admit it, that story – and the way the media portrays certain players – helps an MVP title more than anything else. Booker has always had the numbers, now he has the public’s attention.