NBA Finals star Booker has one eye on Tokyo

PHOENIX (United States) - Devin Booker is firmly focused on helping the Phoenix Suns capture the NBA title for the first time in franchise history. He's also just weeks away from achieving his "life goal" of playing for the United States at the Olympics.

Recently named on the 12-man roster that will be coached by Gregg Popovich, Booker says he'll board the first plane possible for Japan after the NBA Finals to join the American team, which has its first game at the Olympics against France on July 25.

Booker calls playing at the Olympics a "life goal" 

Phoenix have a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Finals following Tuesday's 118-105 victory over the Bucks, a game in which Booker scored 27 points.

"Next [plane after the NBA Finals] smoking. I'll be there," he said. "I'll be there. But, obviously, not my main focus right now. I've reached out to Coach Pop, I reached out to [USA national team managing director Jerry] Colangelo just recently and then I told them I saw all the guys reported to Vegas, and any other place I would rather be is the Finals, but I would love to be there with the guys and I'll be there soon."

The USA players and coaches gathered in Las Vegas on July 6 to start their preparations for Tokyo. The team will be gunning for its fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal.

"Very important. Life goal of mine," Booker said. "I've always said, I think it's the most prestigious event that basketball can find.

"So to be a part of representing your country I think brings you to a whole another stratosphere. Just thinking of the guys that have come before us and represented our country, and I don't think there's anything better than winning a gold medal."

Booker guarded Kevin Durant at a previous USA training camp

 Booker is just 24 yet is already in select company when it comes to scoring points in the NBA.

He is one of just six players in NBA history with multiple career games scoring 59+ points, with Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, James Harden and Elgin Baylor the others.

Booker became just the sixth player in NBA history to have a 70-point game, after Chamberlain, Bryant, David Thompson, David Robinson and Baylor, when he poured in a franchise-record 70 in a game at Boston in 2017. 

The USA will have five warm-up games at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. They will face Nigeria (July 10), Australia (July 12), Argentina (July 13), Australia again (July 16) and Spain (July 18).

Booker has been a part of the USA Basketball setup since being named a member of the 2016 USA Select Team that trained with and against the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team.

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