By now you have probably heard about the tattoo Devin Booker has on his arm, “Be Legendary,” which was inspired by the advice the late Kobe Bryant wrote on his shoes after a game during his final season.
Booker idolized Bryant. Wanted to learn everything he could from him. Then he wanted to be like him. A lot of players his age did.
The only way to credibly put himself into the same sentence as a Hall of Famer like Bryant is to have a lot more games like he did Thursday night, when he scored 31 points to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 118-108 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Phoenix leads the best-of-seven series 2-0, and a very healthy discussion can commence on whether Booker or his backcourt mate Chris Paul is the leading contender for Finals MVP at this point.
Paul followed up his sublime 32-point Game 1 with 23 points and 10 assists in Game 2 despite the full attention of Milwaukee’s defensive stalwart, Jrue Holiday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finished with 42 points and 12 rebounds, had willed Milwaukee through a sluggish three quarters, and the Bucks were finally getting some production out of their role players. But whenever the Bucks inched close in the fourth, the Suns would find a way to push them back.