'The Full 48' Podcast: Devin Booker Talks 70-Point Game, Suns' Young Core

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker joins Bleacher Report's Howard Beck at Las Vegas Summer League to discuss what it's like being such a young leader on a youthful roster. He also talks about his 70-point game, buying his first home, learning from veterans like Tyson Chandler and being a fan of future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant.

Afterward, Beck and B/R's Jordan Brenner dive into the offseason's biggest winners and losers.

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Highlights

On going from a summer league prospect to an up-and-coming star so quickly

You know, everything's been coming at me so fast, honestly. You know, just four years ago I was in high school ... I thought eventually I'd get here, but not this soon. So I've just been taking it all in and just worrying about the task that I have at hand. That's just to get better each and every day, have tunnel vision, stay in the gym and try to figure out this franchise—get it turned around and get back to winning.

On being a leader at just 20 years old

I pretty much have seen it all. I've done the summer league thing two times already, got a lot of experience on the court. They say I was thrown in the fire ... so I'm just giving guys advice I wish I would've had when I was their age—or not their age, but at their point in their career that they're in, cause we're the same age. Just having fun with it, and at the same time ... this is my future, so we all gotta get closer. Good young core that I like a lot.

On learning from veteran Tyson Chandler

Tyson's done everything in his career that I want to get to. He's been an All-Star, he's been an Olympic gold medalist, he's been an NBA champion. I feel like he's like the blueprint of a very, very, very good NBA career. 

... It's a relationship that's bigger than basketball with us. He's kind of like an older brother to me. He has a lot of similarities [to] my dad—it's kind of weird—you know, the advice they give me. But hearing it from somebody else, especially a guy like Tyson, it sinks in a lot more.

On being prepared for the process ahead as a young team out West

I am prepared 'cause you look at just the history of the game and how everything happens. Say, for instance, that OKC team with Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, James Harden—they were all young at first and weren't winning, but you could tell they're so talented ... Utah kinda did that same thing with Gordon Hayward; just developing young guys.

On Suns' young core

Super competitive, especially with Josh [Jackson] too. ... We're all competitive and we want to win and we want to be great. We have those aspirations to win an NBA championship. ... Skill will come; we'll develop that [in] time. Just having people that want to win and actually care about the game, work on their game and love basketball, you can tell you're on the right path with that.

On what Suns need to take the next step

Just more experience. I'm all in with our young core; I wouldn't trade it for anybody else. ... I feel like this group has that [drive].

... I feel like this group ... we have that drive. They're calling it The Timeline right now in Phoenix, but you have to just keep working and get better each and every day.

On scoring 70 points in a game

The night it happened I saw all the people's names I was mentioned with. The Kobe Bryants, Elgin Baylors, Wilt Chamberlains. And in Boston too—that made it that much more special.

I don't think about it that much, but I hear about it every day. So maybe I don't realize what I did yet—maybe until the end of my career where I can look back on it. But for now, it's just another moment in my career where I feel like it's a stepping stone to what's coming next.