NBA All-Star, Kentucky Standout Admits He Almost Went to Michigan State

Posted by author August 7, 2024 NBA

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Michigan State men’s basketball has had some of the best to ever play the game come through its program.

Many former Spartans have gone on to have very successful NBA careers, a testament to Coach Tom Izzo and the standard he holds his program to.

It was recently revealed that he nearly had another.

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, a four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA honoree, admitted during his appearance on “The Backyard Podcast” that he was close to going to Michigan State. Booker, of course, ultimately chose Kentucky, where he was a one-and-done standout.

The former Wildcat guard said he didn’t decide on Kentucky until the end of his recruitment.

“I was going to Michigan State,” Booker said. “That’s where all the childhood friends, homies went. I love Izzo to this day. I didn’t grow up one fan of the other, though, through the rivalry — Michigan-Michigan State.”

Booker played for Kentucky during the 2014-15 season, a year in which Michigan State went to the Final Four.

Imagine that. A Final Four squad with Devin Booker added to the mix. That miss has to sting for the Spartan faithful.

Booker would instead take his own Kentucky team to the Final Four that year, before falling to the national player of the year Frank Kaminsky and Wisconsin. Kentucky started that season at No. 1 in the AP Preseason Poll and finished in the same spot in the final poll.

Booker hails from Grand Rapids, Michigan, so his interest in Michigan State made sense. The Suns guard confessed he was a Michigan State basketball fan and a Michigan football fan growing up.

Booker is currently trying to help Team USA win gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. He will be entering his 10th NBA season already.

In his nine seasons with the Suns, Booker has averaged 24.3 points per game, 4.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists. He has made an NBA Finals appearance and has finished fourth in MVP voting.

Booker was selected by the Suns in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft and was named to that season’s All-Rookie Team.

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