Devin Booker, Diana Taurasi continue support for each other in Olympics

PHOENIX — The representation for the Phoenix Suns and Mercury organizations at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris is up there with any NBA/WNBA teams and headlined by the two faces of the franchises.

Mercury guard Diana Taurasi is pursuing a record sixth gold medal, which would be the most for either the men or women in American basketball. Suns guard Devin Booker is going for a modest No. 2 after snagging his first in Tokyo. They are joined by the Mercury’s Kahleah Copper and Brittney Griner, plus the Suns’ Kevin Durant, who is the all-time men’s leading scorer seeking a record fourth gold.

Booker is entering his 10th season, a number tough to wrap your head around considering how young he still seems (and is at the age of 27!). Through the whole journey in Phoenix, Taurasi has been there as a mentor. Having the greatest of all time and someone who has been in the Valley since 2004 in that role speaks for itself.

“It’s meant everything,” Booker said at Team USA minicamp in Las Vegas. “She took me in under her wing Day 1 in Phoenix and I’ve returned it. But it’s not tit for tat — it’s a real love there that still exists. I was just at the game last week. Just inspiration.”

That last bit there is probably the most important.

Among many other things, Taurasi was featured in the commercial for the launch of Booker’s signature shoe with Nike.

Both are frequent guests at the other’s games and have supported each other throughout this last decade. And perhaps the last significant moment in that joint effort — while both are still playing at least — will be halfway across the world in France.

Both of them speak highly of what their connection has meant over the years.

Taurasi recently turned 42 and has achieved it all. Whether it’s what she’s done already or is still managing to do at her age, it would be difficult for Booker not to get an extra jolt from watching the G.O.A.T. operate.

Taurasi has watched Booker’s career develop from the day he was drafted to now. What she’s seen goes far enough to hope her son can take something from how Booker has done things in Phoenix.

“If Leo can grow up like anyone, I wish he was like Book,” Taurasi said Friday. “From the day he got to Phoenix, he was a grownup, he was serious about basketball. The way he approached it on the court, off the court — I love everything about Dev. To be able to share the Olympics with him in Paris, we already did Tokyo a couple years ago. To see his work ethic.

“And the thing I love about Dev more than anything is he’s loyal. We know how professional sports are, the ups, the downs and it’s not an easy landscape to navigate but he always does it with the most respect and the most loyalty.”

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