Devin Booker is looking to carry forward the mentality from the late Kobe Bryant. The Phoenix Suns guard received a pair of shoes from the Los Angeles Lakers' great in his rookie season that read, “Be legendary,” which is a motto Booker has mentioned several times since.

Booker is one of the best players in the NBA. In the 2022-23 NBA playoffs, he became the first player since Michael Jordan to record at least 295 points through the first eight games of a playoff run. The Suns were the only team to take the defending champion Denver Nuggets to six games and may have won the series if Booker did not suffer a foot/ankle injury early in Game 5.

Booker, who is 26 years old, is entering his prime and has reminded some of Bryant with his shot-making ability and mentality. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith said in an interview with Shannon Sharpe on “Club Shay Shay” that Booker reminds him of Bryant more than another star, the Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler.

“Jimmy Butler works, but the difference between Jimmy Butler and Devin Booker is Jimmy Butler doesn't care that much about offense until the postseason arrives,” Smith said. “Kobe cared about it all the time, and Devin Booker cares about it all the time.

“They're coming out looking for their shot from opening tip off. Jimmy Butler, sometimes you feel like you literally got to throw something at him just to make him shoot the basketball. It's not a priority for him.”

Even though Booker is compared to Bryant, he has said he is not Bryant reincarnated and fans should look at him as his own self.

“I'm inspired by Kobe Bryant and the Mamba mentality, but I am not Kobe Bryant,” Booker said following an incident in which he yelled at the Toronto Raptors' mascot during free-throw attempts.

Booker and the Suns are favorites to win the NBA championship in 2023-24. He, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are arguably the best trio in the NBA and have a chance to create one of the most skilled offenses in NBA history.

Phoenix will be coached by former Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel, who led the team to the 2020 NBA championship. The Suns also retained their associate head coach, Kevin Young, who is expected to have a role in developing the team's offense.