Suns' Devin Booker on Kobe Bryant During Game 6 vs. Lakers: I Know He Was Here

Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker painted a masterpiece Thursday night, dropping 47 points with 11 rebounds in a 113-100 Game 6 victory to eliminate the Los Angeles Lakers from the postseason. 

That Booker did it on the road in Los Angeles only made it more special. Not only was he going against LeBron James, but he also drew inspiration from the Nos. 8 and 24 banners hanging above him in the Staples Center while he played. 

"Honestly, I was thinking about Kobe and the conversations that we had," Booker said about his performance. "Seeing that 8 and that 24 up there with the way the lighting at Staples has right here, it feels like it's shining down on you. And I know he was here tonight. ... I know he was in the building, and I know he was proud."

If there is anything Bryant enjoyed more than a Lakers win, it was watching basketball players figure out how to elevate their game. He preached it with his talk of the "Mamba Mentality" and tried to instill it in Booker back in 2016 when Bryant handed him his game-worn shoes with a simple message written on them: "Be legendary." 

That message was the first thing Booker tweeted early Friday morning after the win. 

It's clear Booker took Bryant's sentiment to heart—even if it meant eliminating Bryant's former club.