Full Breakdown
Devin Booker Embraces No. 15 as New Chapter for Phoenix Suns
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Jersey Number Switch
Long-time Suns guard Devin Booker announced that he will abandon the No. 1 jersey he has worn for 11 seasons and will return to No. 15 beginning with the 2024-25 season. The change was made public during the team’s media day in Phoenix and was officially confirmed in a video released by the Suns in June, timed with Father’s Day.
Background & Context
Booker’s first NBA season in 2015 featured the No. 15 jersey on teammate Marcus Morris, but Booker adopted No. 1 and became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer while wearing it. The number 15 holds personal significance: Booker’s father, Melvin Booker, wore No. 15 at the University of Missouri and earned Big Eight Player of the Year honors in 1994. Devin later wore the same number while representing Team USA, winning Olympic gold in Tokyo and Paris. In interviews, Booker described the switch as a return “to where it all started.”
Data & Statistics
- Seasons with the Suns: 11 (including the 2023-24 campaign).
- Career points with the Suns: all-time leading scorer for the franchise.
- 2023-24 averages: 26.1 points per game, the team’s primary offensive engine.
- Suns’ 2023-24 record: 45-37, eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Oklahoma City.
Official Statements & Responses
In a media-day interview, Booker explained that the new number feels familiar and “like home,” noting that the transition may take time but ultimately reflects his family legacy. The organization highlighted the personal narrative in a Father’s Day video, showing Booker and his father discussing the significance of the number. The Suns also framed the change as part of a broader “fresh start” for the franchise, which added forward Miles Bridges in the offseason and aims to translate the success associated with No. 1 into future championship aspirations.
Why It Matters
The jersey swap carries symbolic weight for fans who have identified Booker with No. 1 throughout his rise. By linking the number to his father’s collegiate success and his own Olympic achievements, the move reinforces a narrative of continuity and personal heritage. From a marketing perspective, the change offers new merchandise opportunities and a storyline that the franchise can leverage as it pursues its first title since the 2000s.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I just feel like where it all started, it's not a foreign number to me. Even walking around downstairs at one saying it's gonna take some time to get used to. When I look in the mirror, the first pictures I've seen of me wearing it, I feel back at home. It feels like where it first started,” — Devin Booker