Kevin Durant: Devin Booker is one of the NBA’s better bleep-talkers
Aug 24, 2017, 4:37 PM | Updated: Aug 25, 2017, 11:24 am
Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant dunks against the Phoenix Suns during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Kevin Durant might’ve been the first on the Devin Booker hype train. Safe to say he remains the conductor of it.
The Golden State Warriors forward told Bill Simmons on a podcast this April that, as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, he was a fan of the Kentucky guard before the 2015 NBA Draft — so much so that Durant and the Thunder gave Booker a call to tell him they would draft him.
Instead, the Phoenix Suns took Booker 13th, a pick before the Thunder selected Murray State point guard Cameron Payne.
Two years later, Durant has played Booker enough to know his affinity for the Suns guard was for good reason.
Returning to Simmons’ podcast this week, Durant complimented the chatter-box of a 20-year-old.
“Devin Booker will talk a little. I love Devin Booker, man,” Durant told Simmons. “He love the game and he like a dog. He’ll talk (expletive). He’ll, like, rough you up. He’ll get up into you. You better watch out for that boy because he is nice. He next — I’m telling you.”
The response came after a mail-bag question asked Durant which NBA player was the best smack-talker.
Warriors teammate Draymond Green was Durant’s choice, but pressed on whether there were any up-and-comers who make talking an art-form, Durant went straight to Booker.
Apparently, Booker does what others in the NBA aren’t so keen on doing: riling up the NBA champions.
“Nobody don’t really talk against us heavy like that,” Durant said.
Booker, who averaged 22.1 points and 3.4 assists per game in his second season, has drawn quite a few compliments from NBA stars.
LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant have all said to keep on eye on Booker.
Among them, Butler long ago agreed with Durant that Booker’s trash-talking has defined his status as a respected up-and-comer.
Butler on Suns rookie Booker: "He was talking trash to me; crazy. I was like, ‘Excuse me.’ Sometimes I think you should just play."
— Sam Smith (@SamSmithHoops) November 19, 2015
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