Following Team USA’s triumph at the 2024 Paris Olympics, head coach Steve Kerr wanted everyone to know just how great Devin Booker was for them. At the end of his press conference after the 98-87 win over France in the gold medal game, Kerr gave a special shoutout to Booker as he called him the unsung MVP of the team.
“Devin Booker is an incredible basketball player. Nobody asked about him. He was our unsung MVP. I just wanted to say that.”
Understandably, Kerr was asked a lot of questions about the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant at his press conference. Their coming together to win the gold in what you assume was their last-ever appearance at the Olympics was the big story.
Kerr felt, though, that Booker needed to get some love for all the work he had done for Team USA throughout the tournament. The 27-year-old played great defense, hustled for loose balls and was great off the ball on offense as well. Booker played his role to perfection and Curry agreed that he was their unsung MVP.
With Team USA having such a stacked roster for the Olympics, you’d have thought that Booker might not get a lot of playtime but that wasn’t the case. The four-time All-Star started every game and only James, Curry, and Durant played more minutes than him in the tournament for the U.S.
Booker ended the 2024 Olympics with averages of 11.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 0.5 steals per game. He was also very efficient, shooting 56.8% from the field and 56.5% from beyond the arc.
In the final against France, Booker had 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. He made some big plays down the stretch and ensured he’d get his hands on his second Olympic gold medal.
Kendrick Perkins Called Devin Booker The Unsung Hero For Team USA
Kerr is far from the only one to think that Booker hasn’t perhaps received the appreciation he deserves for what he did for Team USA. Kendrick Perkins called the Phoenix Suns star the unsung hero for the the team on First Take.
“Let me tell you who’s been the unsung hero throughout this entire tournament,” Perkins said. “It has been Devin Booker. Devin Booker has been phenomenal. Devin Booker was in the game yesterday when it mattered the most, and he played his role to a tee.
“Sliding, getting over screens, holding his corners, spacing the floor, doing everything that he needed to do to be a star in his role to help the team win,” Perkins added
Booker has done whatever it takes to help the team win and is deservedly getting some love for it now. I think of all the players who went to the Olympics, he is certainly the one who has enhanced his reputation the most. He went from being one of the more hated players in the NBA to one who has earned everyone’s respect.
Booker and Durant will now look to replicate their success with Team USA in the NBA. The Suns disappointed in the playoffs last season by getting swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round and are hoping to turn things around in 2024-25.
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