Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker is changing his jersey number from No. 1 to No. 15, honoring his USA Basketball uniform and the college number of his father, Melvin, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Booker wore No. 1 during his lone college season at Kentucky. He had stuck with it since being drafted 13th in 2015 by Phoenix. While playing at Moss Point High School in Mississippi, Booker repped No. 2, which was retired by the school in 2022. He also wore No. 2 with the Alabama Challenge in the Nike EYBL. Melvin Booker also played for Moss Point and had his No. 15 retired.
Devin Booker earned two gold medals with Team USA in the Tokyo and Paris Olympics while wearing No. 15.
Melvin Booker donned the same number during his four years at Missouri, earning men's consensus second-team All-America selection honors his senior year. He didn't wear No. 15 in the NBA, instead opting for Nos. 9, 14 and 5 in his two seasons with three teams.
Suns center Mark Williams donned No. 15 last season, though he is a restricted free agent. Therefore, any return to Phoenix would warrant a number change.
Booker becomes the 16th player in Suns franchise history with No. 15 on his jersey. Most notably, Danny Manning won Sixth Man of the Year in 1998 with the number.
Phoenix is coming off a surprising season that included a first-round sweep to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Booker played a key role in the 45-37 campaign, leading the team with 26.1 points plus six assists per game.