Devin Booker's homecoming sparks hope ahead of preseason opener

DETROIT -- Decked out in Detroit Tigers gear, Devin Booker made a pit stop ahead of the Phoenix Suns' preseason opener Sunday.

Before heading to Little Caesars Arena to face the Detroit Pistons, the three-time All-Star guard visited Ford Field for the first time to watch the Detroit Lions host the Carolina Panthers. After rubbing shoulders with NFL Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, his "favorite player of all time," and NBA legend Isiah Thomas, the Grand Rapids, Michigan, native left with extra motivation as he enters his ninth NBA season in pursuit of his first title.

"After I had my Finals experience and falling short, everybody knows that we need a ring," Booker told ESPN, while exiting Ford Field during the first quarter to prepare for the Pistons game. "We have too much talent in the house, with a coach that's won it before. We're all on the same page. We'll have fun during the journey, but we all know what we're working towards."

Booker, 26, admitted his "heart's pumping" after the Michigan experience as Thomas joined him on a private exit out of Ford Field. The Pistons legend is predicting big things out of Booker this season, too.

"The last couple of years, they've been MVP years and I just hope that this year, everybody acknowledges his MVP status. The way he's been playing the last couple years, what he did in the playoffs," Thomas told ESPN. "And then as a person, you can't find a better person. As a person and leader, he's everything you want in a superstar."

Booker is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-best 27.8 points per game with 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds. The new-look Suns have added Bradley Beal and coach Frank Vogel as they're looking to win the franchise's first NBA title.

Throughout his career, Booker has paid homage to his home state and all the Michigan sports teams by wearing different jerseys and fan gear during public appearances.

Attending a Lions home game is now something he can cross off his bucket list.

"Something I always wanted to do as a kid. Detroit sports is my life," Booker said. "I've been a fan of all of them, Detroit Red Wings, Pistons, Tigers -- and obviously the Lions. Just touching back into my roots, how I grew up. Every Sunday has always been family time, watching Lions games."

After enduring some tough seasons in Phoenix early in his career, to reaching the NBA Finals in 2022, Booker is pulling for his favorite NFL team to shed the "Same Old Lions" losing narrative while drawing comparisons to his own professional journey.

"Yeah, because that's how my career was," Booker said. "Obviously, you know we've been at the bottom for a long time, speaking for Phoenix and the Lions, and to watch the culture change, watch the environment change, and coach [Dan Campbell] come in, and you can feel that."