When idols become your rivals. That could be a good sentiment for Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker and Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant.
The two were teammates for two and a half seasons before Phoenix sent Durant away in a massive trade that landed them Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, and the No. 10 pick. (Khaman Maluach) and a slew of second-round draft picks.
After he hit the game-winner, Durant talked postgame about how the Suns scapegoated him. Regardless of the jab at his former team, Booker still has all the appreciation for the latter and what he's done for him.
“It's always a pleasure. He's done so much for this game. He's done so much for me personally,” Booker said postgame via AZCentral's Duane Rankin.
“Any chance I can be out there with one of my idols, somebody that I have a high respect for, there's nothing like it. That's all you can ask for.”
Devin Booker and Kevin Durant face each other for first time since 2023
The last time the two squared off against each other was on February 7, 2023, where the Suns defeated the Brooklyn Nets 116-112. Durant didn't play in that game, but was subsequently traded to Phoenix in one of the biggest midseason trades in history.
Still, skeptics will say that the Suns didn't do enough with him there. Durant's production was as good as ever, but the team only won six playoff games during that stretch.
Injuries made things more complicated, but it never seemed to truly work out. Since the previous trade, the Suns and Rockets have both won from the Durant trade. They each have their respective identities and styles they want to play with.
Regardless of that, Phoenix has been a pleasant surprise, while Houston has been a literal giant in the Western Conference. The next time these two will face will be in the Valley of the Sun.
Even if the Suns faithful have a mixed reaction to Durant's return, Booker will always hold that same reverence and respect.
