Devin Booker Drops No. 1 for No. 15 — The Family and Olympic Reason Behind the Switch

For more than a decade, Phoenix Suns fans have known Devin Booker as the face of the franchise wearing No. 1. That era is officially over.

Booker will swap his long-time jersey number for No. 15 starting next season, according to multiple reports. The change, first flagged by jersey expert Etienne Catalan on X, was later confirmed by ESPN’s Shams Charania, who linked the move directly to Booker’s time with USA Basketball and a personal connection to his father.

“Devin Booker could be changing his number from No. 1 to No. 15. Still need to be confirmed by the team. He wore 15 during the last Olympics,” Catalan wrote.

Charania added: “Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker is changing his jersey from No. 1 to No. 15, honoring his USA Basketball uniform and the college number of his father, Melvin, per ESPN sources.”

Why the switch matters beyond the digits

Booker wore No. 15 while helping Team USA win gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and the number also belonged to his father, Melvin Booker, during his college career at Missouri. For a player entering his 11th NBA season — all with Phoenix — the shift signals a deliberate personal rebrand.

The Suns have not yet officially confirmed the change, but the reports align with Booker’s public embrace of his Olympic experience and his relationship with his father, a former NBA guard who played 32 games in the league.

What it means for Phoenix

Booker remains the engine of a Suns team coming off a 45-37 season that ended with a first-round sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. He averaged 26.1 points, six assists, and 3.9 rebounds last season while shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range.

Though the number change is symbolic, it arrives at a moment when Phoenix is searching for renewed momentum. The franchise has stayed relatively quiet in the offseason so far, and Booker’s shift away from No. 1 — a number he’s worn since being drafted 13th overall out of Kentucky in 2015 — could be read as a reset of sorts.

Fans online noted the coincidence that former Suns center Deandre Ayton, who wore No. 22 before being traded, once donned No. 15 in high school. Booker’s move, however, carries no such baggage. It’s rooted in family legacy and national team pride, two anchors that have defined his career off the court.

Whether the change sparks a turnaround for Phoenix remains to be seen. But for a player of Booker’s stature, a new number — and the stories behind it — often signals a new chapter.