In the NBA, it’s perfectly normal for a star player to become a coach after they retire. Chauncey Billups, Steve Kerr, Tyronn Lue, and Steve Nash are just a few modern-day names who have made the leap.
In Phoenix, there is talk that Devin Booker might one day join that club.
It wasn’t long before Suns head coach Monty Williams shut those talks down. In a recent chat with NBC, the basketball expert laughed as he explained why Booker does not have a future in coaching.
“Book? Book has no patience for coaching. At all. No shot. It’s laughable. There’s no way. He’s unbelievably competitive but I couldn’t see him being an NBA coach at all. Maybe at Moss Point or something like that, when he’s done. But not as an NBA coach. No shot.”
It’s an emphatic “no” from Williams, and it’s not hard to see why. Booker is as competitive as they come, and his teammates know it more than anyone.
“He’s good as a player, being engaged. But I don’t see him coaching. He don’t have the patience for a coaching job right now,” said Jae Crowder. “Maybe when he gets older. But right now, this young Book? Nah, he’s not there yet.”
Booker, 25, was drafted back in 2015 by Phoenix. Coming out of Kentucky, he was hailed for his scoring ability, which obviously translated well into the NBA sphere.
By his second season in the league, Book was earning league-wide attention and fame for his performance, which was eventually followed up with his first All-Star appearance three years later.
Now, he’s one of the best players for a Phoenix team that finished with the best record in the West. The sky is truly the limit for this guy, and he could soon be lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy if he returns healthy soon.
But don’t count on him to ever take the coaching reigns in a few decades. It seems he’s just not cut out for that sort of role.
