The NBA can be overwhelming for rookies and everyone eventually gets their welcome to the big leagues moment at some point. For Phoenix Suns superstar Devin Booker, his came when Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade completely erased his shot attempt back in the 2015-16 season.
Speaking in a chat with The Big lead on Sunday, D-Book shared the moment he saw first-hand why Wade is considered as one of the best shot-blocking guards of all time.
“One time I pump-faked D-Wade the first time I played against him,” the 23-year-old star recalled.
“I got him in the air, and, you know, he’s one of the best shot-blocking guards in history, if not the best. I got him with the pump fake, took two dribbles to get away, and I swear I didn’t see him. I went to shoot the ball and he got it before I could even go up for my shot. The timing, the awareness, the natural instincts that he had, they were so elevated that I knew I had to work on my game a lot more,” he added.
In his prime, Dwyane Wade was one of the most athletic shooting guards in NBA history. Although he measured at just 6-foot-4 and considered undersized for his position, Wade's supreme bounce and elite timing allowed him to become a feared two-way player throughout his playing career. Wade, who now works as an analyst for TNT, registered a total of 885 blocks in 16 seasons.
He passed Michael Jordan for most rejections made by a guard in league history.
Devin Booker, on the other hand, certainly used that wake-up call as a tool to become one of the most feared bucket-getters in the game today. Prior to the suspension of the season, the 6-foot-5 scorer average career-highs of 26.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. That's not including his efficiency of 48.7 percent shooting from the field, 36 percent from three, and 91.6 percent from the foul line. He was also named an All-Star for the first time.
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