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Devin Booker’s switch from No. 1 to No. 15 carries an emotional family tribute
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- Devin Booker’s switch from No. 1 to No. 15 carries an emotional family tribute
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Devin Booker 's jersey number change is not just a fresh look for the Phoenix Suns star, it is a tribute rooted deeply in family ties.
Booker is moving from No. 1 to No. 15, ending an 11-season run with the number that became tied to his rise in Phoenix. For Suns fans, No. 1 is connected to his 70-point game, his climb into franchise history and the 2021 NBA Finals run.
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Booker is not leaving that legacy behind. He is adding a new chapter to it, one that carries even more personal meaning.
Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images
Devin Booker No 15 switch honors USA Basketball and Melvin Booker
Shams Charania reported that Booker is changing from No. 1 to No. 15, honoring his USA Basketball uniform and the college number worn by his father, Melvin Booker.
Melvin Booker wore No. 15 during his college career at Missouri, where he became one of the program's standout guards in the early 1990s. He later played professionally, and his basketball path became a major influence on Devin's development.
Booker has often spoken about his father's role in shaping him as a player. The number change turns that influence into something visible every night.
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The USA Basketball connection matters too. Booker wore No. 15 while representing the United States, including during Olympic gold medal runs, giving the number both family and national-team meaning.
Devin Booker leaves No 1 with Suns legacy already secure
No. 1 will always matter in Booker's Suns story. He wore it while becoming the face of the franchise, an All-Star, an All-NBA guard and Phoenix's all-time leading scorer.
He also built one of the strongest scoring resumes in modern Suns history, from his 70-point night against Boston to multiple playoff runs that made him the team's centerpiece.
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Booker's 2025-26 season continued that standard. He averaged more than 26 points and six assists, carrying the same offensive responsibility that has defined his prime years.
The shift to No. 15 therefore feels less like a rebrand and more like a mature career marker. Booker has already made No. 1 iconic in Phoenix.
Now he gets to wear a number that points backward to his father, outward to Team USA and forward to whatever comes next.
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