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Devin Booker Says Kobe Bryant Serves as His Inspiration: 'With Me Every Day'
August 7, 2020
Kobe Bryant continues to be a source of inspiration for Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker after the Los Angeles Lakers legend's death in January.
Booker dropped 20 points and 10 assists in a 114-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday. After the game, he told reporters that "Kobe's with me every day."
Booker faced off with Bryant only once, when the Suns beat the Los Angeles Lakers on March 23, 2016. After the game, Bryant reached out to the Phoenix rookie and gave him his autographed shoes.
During a March 2017 game against the Boston Celtics, Booker went off for 70 points. After the defeat, he explained to reporters how he continued pouring in the points because of something Bryant had said about never being content with a set total.
Months after Bryant's death, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on The Jump that Booker and Bryant "were very, very close."
Windhorst had also posited that Bryant might have respected Booker's work ethic more than any other player's in the league.
Booker is putting that work ethic on display near Orlando, Florida, as the Suns' four straight victories have them sitting 10th in the Western Conference, two games off the eight-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.