On Thursday, June 3rd, 2021, the Phoenix Suns defeated LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 113-100. The victory allowed the Suns to win their first round series of the NBA playoffs four-games to two.
What history will remember about this series is the following:
- Defending champion LeBron James experiencing a first round exit.
- Charles Barkley referring to Anthony Davis as “Street Clothes.”
- Most importantly, the Phoenix Suns’s Devin Booker officially became a star.
As I read Anthony Slater’s June 4th The Athletic article on Booker’s performance in the final game, I gleaned 10 Keys To Becoming The Star Of Your Organization we learned from the Suns’ new superstar:
- Stars Are Not Always Easily Recognizable – Booker was not the first pick of the 2015 NBA Draft. That honor went to Kentucky’s Karl Athony-Towns. In fact, he was not the second (D’Angelo Russell) or third pick (Jahlil Okafor) of the Draft. Furthermore, he was not the first, second (Willie Cauley-Stein), or third (Trey Lyles) player drafted from the University of Kentucky. Devin Booker fell to the 13th pick of the Draft by the Phoenix Suns.
- You Cannot Become A Star Without Having Talent Around You – Becoming a star of your organization is not a solo act. The Suns have added future Hall of Fame Chris Paul along with lottery picks Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and Deandre Ayton.
- Bad Teams Don’t Have Great Stars – As a result of Booker’s ascension and the acquisition of so much talent, the Suns improved 34-39 (47% winning percentage) in 2020 to a 51-21 (71%) this year.
- Even Great Stars Need Great Leaders – In addition to his excellent drafting, Suns general manager James Jones hired the outstanding head coach Monty Williams. Both are likely candidates for Executive of the Year and Coach of the Year honors.
- Stars Are Continual Learners – Do you study like a star? Teammate Jae Crowder said, “I didn’t know he was the type of player who studied the game like he does.” Booked added, “I’m on League Pass faithfully. I’ve dedicated my life to this game and wouldn’t want it any other way.”
- Stars Attract Other Stars – Do other great people want to work with you? Paul added, “One of the biggest things that made me want to play here is that I’ve always had the utmost respect for two-way players.”
- Stars Are Willing To Do The Dirty Work – Let’s put Paul’s previous comments in full context. Here’s the full statement – “One of the biggest things that made me want to play here is that I’ve always had the utmost respect for two-way players. Right? Guys that not only score, but play defense, too.”
- Stars Play Big-Time In Big-Time Situations – In the closeout game against the Lakers, Booker had 22 first-quarter points on 8-of-9 shooting, making all six of his 3s. He finished with 47 points.
- Stars Own The Results – Shaquille O’Neal said afterwards, “This is what superstars do in closeout games. Give me the damn ball and get out the way.”
- Stars Have Earned And Deserve Respect – Paul concluded, “When I got here, I saw the kind of respect that Mikal, DA and all the coaches have for Book. It’s contagious.” Coach Williams concluded, “I’m watching him on the fly go from a guy who scored a ton of points into a guy who can lead a team in the playoffs and be in a different class.”
Do you want to be a star in your organization? Then what is one thing you learned from Devin Booker which will help you achieve that goal?
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