Devin Booker Is Changing His Jersey Number to Honor His Father. The Story Behind It Is Beautiful.
Devin Booker is dropping the 1 and going back to the number that means everything to him. The Suns star confirmed this week that he is switching his jersey number to 3 next season to honor his late father, Melvin Booker.
Melvin Booker passed away last fall after a long battle with cancer. He wore No. 3 throughout his playing career, including his time as a star at Missouri and his years overseas. Devin grew up watching him in that jersey. The connection is the entire point.
Booker had worn No. 1 in Phoenix since being drafted in 2015. He turned that number into a legacy in the desert. Hanging it up to wear his dad’s old number is not a marketing move. It is a son keeping his father close.
The decision lands as Booker enters one of the most important seasons of his career. The Suns are trying to retool around him. Kevin Durant is gone. Bradley Beal is gone. Booker is the face of the franchise again, the one player Phoenix is building around.
What makes the jersey change resonate is the timing. Booker is reminding everyone that the game is also personal. He has talked openly about how much his father shaped him as a player. The mid-range pull-ups, the footwork, and the patience. Melvin was the one who drilled the fundamentals.
Now Booker plays in his dad’s number. Every shot, every fourth quarter, every road game. It is a daily tribute on the floor.
Suns fans will likely jump on the new jerseys the moment they hit the team store. There is something about the gesture that connects with how Phoenix sees Booker. Loyal. Grounded. Family-oriented.
The on-court question is whether Booker can carry a franchise that has been thrown into the spin cycle the last 18 months. Mat Ishbia’s spending spree did not work. The roster has been gutted of stars. Booker is left holding the bag with a young supporting cast.
He is up to it. Last season Booker averaged 25.6 points and 7.1 assists while playing through one of the most chaotic locker rooms in the league. He has gotten better in every category as the team around him has gotten worse. That is the kind of player you bet on.
The No. 3 will look strange at first. Booker has been the No. 1 in Phoenix for a decade. The fanbase will adjust quickly once they understand the meaning. This is about Melvin Booker. This is about a son grieving in public the only way he knows how, by playing in his father’s number.
Expect the Suns to plan something around the jersey reveal in October. A first-game ceremony. A patch on the chest. Something that honors a man whose imprint on the player Booker became is undeniable.
This is one of the best stories in the NBA right now. A superstar putting family above his own brand. The basketball will take care of itself. Number 3 is going to look right on him soon enough.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
