Devin Booker is one of the biggest names in basketball, but at Silverleaf Country Club, he was simply Book.
He was relaxed, listening to music and laughing with friends as they traded the basketball court for the golf course. His dad was there. Former teammates had returned to Phoenix. Current Suns players filled the green, and longtime friends moved easily through conversations that had clearly started years before we arrived.
This was a side of Devin fans don’t get to see from the stands.
His father, Melvin Booker, still sees the boy he raised. Diana Taurasi says, “We ride with Book.” Chris Paul sees a bigger heart than most people realize. Devin’s younger teammates know him as a mentor, a veteran, and a big brother. Archie Bradley sees someone who does much more than lend his name to a cause because Devin personally shows up.
They had all gathered for the fifth annual Devin Booker Starting Five Charity Challenge, held at Silverleaf Country Club and sponsored by Kalshi and presented by Morgan Stanley. Michael Phelps joined Devin in his foursome.
That purpose began taking shape in 2019, when Devin launched Starting Five with a $2.5 million commitment to organizations improving the lives of children and families throughout Arizona. Each year, five local nonprofits receive $100,000 grants to strengthen the work they are already doing in the community.
The numbers are significant, but they tell only part of the story. Starting Five has helped refurbish basketball courts, support back to school clothing drives and provide dental care for Special Olympics Arizona athletes. Through every initiative, Devin is giving back to the community that has spent more than a decade cheering his name.
One of the most personal threads running through that work is his connection to the Special Olympics.
Devin’s younger sister, Mya Powell, was born with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, also known as DiGeorge syndrome. Growing up beside Mya gave Devin an intimate understanding of the challenges people with intellectual disabilities can face, but it also taught him to recognize the talent, ambition and joy that can be overlooked when someone is defined by a diagnosis.
“Growing up with a sister that has to face new challenges every day puts life in perspective,” Devin once shared in a Special Olympics video. He has also spoken about how much Mya has taught him about himself and how her ability to find joy keeps him grounded regardless of what happened in the previous night’s game.
That relationship helped lead Devin to Special Olympics Arizona shortly after he joined the Suns in 2015 and later to his role as a Special Olympics Global Ambassador. Special Olympics Arizona became one of the first Starting Five grant recipients, and Devin’s continued involvement has included clinics, friendships with local athletes and efforts to provide dental care.
His longtime agent, Jessica Holtz, describes Devin’s mother and sister simply as his “why.”
That personal connection gives Starting Five a depth that cannot be measured only in dollars. Devin understands what it means for someone to be seen for their possibilities rather than defined by their challenges. Through Starting Five, he has helped Arizona organizations create that same sense of possibility for more children and families.
At Silverleaf, a serious mission met a relaxed day of golf. Some came with confidence. Others, not so much.
Ryan Dunn called his game a work in progress. Oso Ighodaro admitted he had only started playing during the offseason. Archie Bradley declared that he simply “brings the vibes.”
The imagined foursomes were equally revealing. Koa selected Devin, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, placing his current teammate alongside two of the most influential players in basketball history. Archie chose his father, the grandfather he never met, and Devin.
Even in the lightest conversations, everything seemed to circle back to Book.
For Diana, the tournament has become a standing commitment. She has spent two decades giving Arizona everything she has, which gives her a distinct understanding of the bond between an athlete and a city.
“I always look forward to this day,” Diana says. “I love Dev. He’s one of my favorite people of all time, and he does it because he loves to do this for his charity.”
Diana believes their goals are aligned both on and off the court. They understand how hard people throughout Arizona work, and they feel a responsibility to represent that same effort whenever they play.
“Every time I get my invitation in the email, that day is blocked off,” she says.
Chris Paul feels that same loyalty. He no longer wears a Suns uniform, but his relationship with Devin never depended on one.
“He’s not only a brother to me, but his family is family to me, too,” Chris says. "Book is intense on the court, but I think he probably has a bigger heart than people realize. He pays attention to everything that is going on, and he really cares about making a difference. And he doesn’t want any credit for it, which is dope."
That is why returning to Phoenix for Starting Five was never a question.
“Anything he and his family ever have going on, I’m always going to support it one thousand percent.”
Archie Bradley met Devin during his years pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks. They were two young pro athletes building careers in the same city, and both wanted their connection to the Valley to mean more than what happened during games.
“Devin actually cares about his foundation and about these kids,” Archie says. “He shows up, his family shows up, and he’s active. He doesn’t just put his name on something and write a check.”
Archie calls Devin’s bond with the community one of the strongest in professional sports, built on the same trust that defines his leadership.
The tournament offered a rare glimpse of the Suns away from practices, rotations and press conferences. Beneath all of it, however, was a clear sense of who the players look toward.
Jalen Green arrived in Phoenix through a trade and found Devin ready to welcome him.
“He has taken me under his wing and tried to help me as much as he can in every way possible. A brother," says Jalen.
Jalen understands that joining a roster does not automatically make someone part of a city. Devin’s example has shown him that belonging is also built through presence.
“He tries to give back to the community as much as he can and show that he cares about where he is and where his feet are,” Jalen says. “You guys welcomed me with open arms. It means everything to me, and hopefully Arizona is somewhere I can call home.”
Miles Bridges shared a similar perspective while supporting Starting Five.
“Basketball may bring you to a new city, but being present in the community is how you really become part of it,” Miles says. “What Devin has built with Starting Five is special. I admire the way he uses his platform to give back, and I’m happy to show up for it.”
Ryan Dunn has spent nearly three years learning from Devin as both a player and a person. The lesson he continues to carry is that every athlete has an opportunity to leave an impact wherever they play.
“He does it on the highest scale, but every time I can, I try to do little things to give back,” Ryan says.
For Oso Ighodaro, who grew up in the Valley, the connection is even more personal. He watched Devin’s relationship with Arizona develop as a fan before experiencing his leadership as a teammate.
“He has been my mentor and my vet since I got into the league. He has really helped with my development as a person and a player,” says Oso.
Oso hopes to follow Devin’s example as his own platform grows, while Koa is still adjusting to the reality that someone he once watched from home is now standing beside him in practice.
“He’s a legend,” Koa says. “I remember watching him in the Finals and all the years he has played here. To see the success he has had and now be part of it and be on the team with him is surreal.”
The influence moves naturally from one generation to the next. Devin arrived in Phoenix as an 18 year old with veterans around him. Now, he has become the person younger players seek out for guidance.
Devin’s CAA agent Jessica Holtz recognized that quality from the beginning.
Their relationship started more than a decade ago, when Devin noticed how she worked with other members of his draft class and decided he wanted her in his corner.
“From day one, I knew Devin was different. He was mature beyond his years, and his emotional intelligence was off the charts. I knew he was going to make an impact on Phoenix forever," she says.
Jessica now considers Devin family. She has watched him become the Suns’ all time leading scorer, build a signature shoe line and emerge as the face of the franchise without losing the qualities that made him stand out as a teenager.
“He’s beyond generous with his time and his energy. He has so much to offer his community, his friends and his family.”
Melvin Booker, Devin’s dad, also sees those accomplishments, but he still sees his son first.
“When I look at him, even now, I still see that little boy,” Melvin says. “We have a special bond. A lot of it is personal and stays between the two of us, and that’s what makes it so meaningful.”
Giving back, Melvin explains, was never something added to Devin’s life after he became successful. It was part of how he was raised.
“When you’re a professional athlete and you have that kind of platform, I believe you have a responsibility to use it,” he says.
At Silverleaf, longtime friends and new supporters came together as what Melvin called “one big family.”
That connection extends to Devin’s return to No. 15, the number Melvin wore and Devin shared as a child. Now, Phoenix kids wear it too.
“Full circle. It’s so special,” he says.
As this issue arrives, Devin is newly 30 and in his 12th season in the Valley. His name sits at the top of the Suns’ scoring record, his shoes are worn around the world, and a generation of young players now speaks about him as the example they hope to follow.
Yet when Melvin is asked what he wants for his son at 30, he does not mention another record, championship or contract.
“Health is wealth. If he has that, he has everything he needs for whatever comes next.”
More games and milestones will come, but Devin’s impact already reaches far beyond basketball. It is visible in the nonprofits strengthened through Starting Five, the Special Olympics athletes who feel seen, and the younger players learning that representing a city means more than wearing its uniform.
Starting Five began as a commitment to five Arizona nonprofits. At Silverleaf, it also reflected the circle around Devin: family, friends and a generation now following his lead.