Arizona has been a popular free agent destination for NBA stars and supporting players alike for several years now, and there are one or two reasons for that: the new ownership led by Mat Ishbia and, of course, the prospect of playing alongside Devin Booker on the Phoenix Suns.

Booker has earned the respect of his peers across the league through his hard work and dedication to the game, earning him his current status as an absolute superstar.

In 2021, the Suns won the Western Conference finals against the Clippers four games to two, and Chris Paul, who scored 41 points that night, was asked by then-ESPN’s Rachel Nichols what the main reason was for him wanting to come to Phoenix.

CP3 is considered one of the best point guards of all time and his words should not be taken lightly.

Fast forward to the present: Kevin Durant is entering his third quarter of his season with the Suns after being traded to Phoenix in the middle of the 2023 season, proving that in the eyes of the biggest and brightest stars, Devin Booker is someone they wanted to play with.

Oh, hey, and they have Bradley Beal, who is entering his second season as a Sun.

And who knows, maybe after the Olympics there will be someone else, possibly someone from the Bay Area.

But let’s take a quick look. After all, this is about the development of the relationship between Durant and Booker.

Let’s start with KD, who revealed that he has been following Devin Booker’s game since high school.

In 2017, Durant said on the Bill Simmons podcast that he and OKC wanted to draft Devin Booker with their 14th pick. But fate would have the Suns select him with their own 13th pick. It’s one of those “what if” scenarios in the NBA.

Since then, KD can only look at him from afar and shower him with love whenever he gets the chance.

In 2021, Booker, who was fresh off a heartbreaking finals, and Durant finally got the chance to play together for the USABMNT at the Tokyo Olympics. I believe that’s where their friendship blossomed. Here’s what Durant had to say about Booker in one of his press interviews.

Fast forward to February 2023. During his introductory press conference with the Suns, Durant reiterated that he is a huge Booker fan.

As for Devin Booker, his respect for the legends of the game has always been unwavering. Like KD, Booker showed love and respect for Durant before they became teammates, saying on multiple occasions that Durant was his favorite player. Now that they have been teammates for nearly two years, their bond is only getting stronger.

There is no exact date when their friendship began, but the obvious factor is that they became friends in the most basic way possible: by respecting each other’s craft. The fans in the Valley and I in the Philippines are so lucky to watch these two play with and for each other night after night with “Phoenix Suns” in their chests.

Next season, the Suns will again be dependent on their “Big 3,” especially the duo Durant-Booker. Only time will tell whether their friendship can be translated into a championship title.