For all of the attention Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker receives, he caught the eye of one player in particular when he was at Kentucky.

Arkansas guard Manny Watkins was assigned to guard Booker. In the beginning, he thought that guarding the freshman would be an easy task. However, when push came to shove, it was quite the opposite.

Watkins explained on TikTok his initial impressions of guarding Booker.

“First time I checked him, I thought I had it figured out,” Watkins said. “But then he hit me and the team with a move and we knew something was different about this guy.

“His footwork [was] already NBA-ready as a freshman. His pace never rushed. If you gave him any space, he would dot you in the eye with a three-ball. I tried everything [but] nothing really worked.”

Fast forward to his ninth season in the NBA, and much hasn't changed. The thing that has changed though would be his professionalism, skill, and demeanor.

After being picked 13th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, Booker transformed into a No. 1 player. He helped the Suns reach the NBA Finals, as well as Booker having his individual career flourish.

Multiple All-Star and All-NBA awards have helped him be respected and appreciated by others around the league.

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Devin Booker excels in the NBA as he did at Kentucky

Although the Suns are eliminated from the playoffs this season, it doesn't discredit what Booker has done. The latter has had a memorable season in a good way.

One of those came against the Portland Trail Blazers. For instance, Booker became the Suns' all-time leading scorer. Again, as Watkins mentioned, some of those skills Booker possessed were ‘NBA ready.'

Funny enough, he was one of the stars on that 2015 Kentucky squad and wasn't even a starter. He averaged 10 points off the bench and shot 41% from three.

The three-ball has always been a deadly element, even if Booker likes to stick to the mid-range.

Either way, the Kentucky superstar has done what many of his counterparts have done. Excel in the NBA at the highest level.