ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins Explained Why Devin Booker Is So Much Like Kobe Bryant

The Suns star has been virtually unstoppable this postseason.

After another monstrous performance to help the Suns win Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal series against the Nuggets, praise is pouring in for Devin Booker.

Booker’s 36 points and 12 assists on 14-of-18 shooting lifted Phoenix to a critical 129–124 win that evened the series at two games apiece. That’s after he poured in 47 points on a ridiculous 20-of-25 shooting effort in a tight Game 3 victory. Booker’s performance in the past two games in Phoenix has analysts throwing around some lofty comparisons. And Monday on ESPN’s First Take, former Celtics star Kendrick Perkins even mentioned Kobe Bryant.

“Devin Booker has been, and is, the best player in the playoffs,” Perkins said. “He’s a younger version of Kobe.”

Here’s the full exchange:

.@KendrickPerkins says Devin Booker has been the BEST player in the playoffs:

"He's a younger version of Kobe. And if anybody disagrees with that, they're out of their damn mind and they haven't been watching basketball." pic.twitter.com/VryZfWYYJU

— First Take (@FirstTake) May 8, 2023

Booker now has scored 35 or more points in five of his last seven games and 45 or more in three of those games. Even before Sunday night’s 36 points, Booker had the most points through eight postseason games since Michael Jordan in 1990, per ESPN Stats & Info.

• Get your seats to Phoenix Suns games at SI Tickets

So while Perkins’s take may raise some eyebrows, there’s no doubt the praise for Booker has been earned. This playoff run has been among the best scoring stretches in recent NBA history and has given the Suns new life after losing the first two games of the series in Denver. Booker can continue his historic run Tuesday in Game 5 of the series at 10 p.m. ET.