Ad Disclosure
Devin Booker provides signature shoes to Arkansas for Sweet 16 clash
Published:
Devin Booker only played 1 season at Kentucky, and it was a full decade ago.
But the Phoenix Suns star guard didn’t forget the college game, and mostly he hasn’t forgotten his college coach. Booker played for John Calipari during that 1 special season, when he was named the SEC Sixth Man of the Year as well as being named to the SEC All-Freshmen Team and being a second-team All-SEC selection.
In 38 games for Kentucky in 2014–15, Booker averaged 10.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 21.5 minutes per game. He prospered in a 1-and-done situation under Calipari, and even though Calipari now coaches at SEC rival Arkansas, Booker wanted to show some appreciation for his former college coach.
After 15 seasons at Kentucky, including a national title in 2012, Calipari has the Razorbacks in the Sweet 16 in his very first season in Fayetteville. Late Thursday night in San Francisco, Calipari will lead the 10th-seeded Cinderella Hogs against 3-seed Texas Tech in a West Region showdown for the right to play for a Final Four berth.
And Booker, who was 2 wins away from leading that Kentucky team to a perfect season, helped get Coach Cal’s Razorbacks ready for their Sweet 16 matchup by giving the whole team his signature Book 1 LX sneakers.
It’s worth noting Booker also showed love to his alma mater earlier this season. New Wildcats head coach Mark Pope, who replaced Calipari in Lexington, showed off the Book 1 Wildcat-themed special edition after UK’s exhibition win over Minnesota State.
So, Booker still has plenty of love for his former college coach and his former college team.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
