Tom Weller/VOIGT/GettyImages
Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker offered a unique insight into the U.S. team’s run to the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Last September, Booker responded, “I’ll do it,” when Washington Wizards star Kyle Kuzma said the U.S. “better get some NBA stars who know how to play a role” for the Olympics, which was also the caption to his 14-minute video shared on Instagram. (Warning: The video contains swear words).
The reel includes footage from the U.S. team’s games, as well as more spontaneous clips from the locker room, training and the Olympic Village.
At one point, Booker can be heard in the tunnel after the USA beat France 98-87 in the final. He told some members of the Serbian national team that he thought the Americans would lose in the semifinals. The USA narrowly beat Serbia 95-91 in the penultimate game.
To call Booker the Olympics’ rising star would be an exaggeration, as he is already a household name among many NBA fans. But the 27-year-old received a lot of praise for his performance in Paris. Head coach Steve Kerr called him “something like our secret MVP.” He averaged 11.7 points and made 56.5 percent of his shots from beyond the three-point line. His defense and willingness to play without the ball helped balance such a talented team.