ALL-STAR GAME: TEAM DURANT VS. TEAM LEBRON

February 20, 2022

Devin Booker

Team Durant

Press Conference

Team LeBron 163, Team Durant 160

Q. Can you tell us about the emotions of playing in this particular game in which it's not just a normal basketball game, but it's also a celebration of the league, and you kind of got the boards at the end of the ceremony and some sort of passing the torch, I guess?

DEVIN BOOKER: Yeah, this was a special one. I've only went to one other one and for the league to be representing NBA 75 and being in the same presence as the greats, the pioneers that have shaped and changed this game and allowed our younger generation to be in the position that we're in now was truly special. Getting the chance to speak after they did the ceremony for the NBA 75, with Ja, Luka, and Karl, was another moment for me. I take all these moments in, and they're really important to me.

Q. What did it mean to be out there?

DEVIN BOOKER: It's a lot to take in. These are those moments that you look back on. I get my film developed in my camera and get to remember these moments and remember just being around these guys and being a sponge to them. All-Star Weekend is great because we have a lot of competitors here that you always see locked in, but you get to see a lot of personality, a lot of smiles. It was a very successful one.

Q. I would be remiss if I didn't ask about Chris with the thumb and knowing he is going to be out for six to eight weeks. How are you feeling with that?

DEVIN BOOKER: I would rather have him in. We have to figure it out. Everybody has to give a little bit more. I look at the beauty in it. He gets to rest his legs. He gets to get ready for a long postseason that we're trying to make happen. So we got to hold it down without him. We got to hold the fort down. I'm sure Coach is already coming up with some game plans and schemes to make it work without him out there.

Q. Just in terms of him and what you guys are trying to accomplish, I mean, was that even in your mind as the game was going on, or even just since you knew about the thumb, were you, like, damn, we got to move on with this, or how did you initially take it is what I'm getting at?

DEVIN BOOKER: It's a part of the game that you always hate to see. But Coach always says, control the controllable. That's part of the game, and that happens sometimes. I think fortunate enough it's nothing as detrimental as season-ending, and he will be back when the games matter.