The Phoenix Suns have had only one constant this decade, and that has been their franchise cornerstone in Devin Booker.
Through coaching changes and superstar arrivals and exits, with an NBA Finals appearance thrown in there for good measure, Booker has been there through it all.
Selfless nature of Booker key trait he shares with Stephen Curry
Former NBA head coach Doc Rivers was on "The Bill Simmons Podcast" in the aftermath of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, and the topic of how coachable superstars such as Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson are came up.
During the conversation Rivers went out of his way to praise Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors for the way he has led that franchise for well over a decade. His "we over me" style and how open he is to hearing from coaches and adapting to new teammates and expectations never changing, and that included when Kevin Durant arrived in San Francisco.
Devin Booker has acted the same way in Phoenix, and is one of the few stars in today's game who carries himself in this way. He has never gotten the love for it that Curry has, but we'll put that down to history being written by the winners and Curry having done a lot of that throughout his career.
The Suns should be thankful that this is who Booker is, because no matter the dynamic he has never had to go out of his way to let people know this is his team. He co-existed extremely well with Chris Paul, while the up-and-down nature of Deandre Ayton's play and his desire to be more involved offensively was never called out by him publicly either.
Booker also joined forces with Durant (and also Bradley Beal) and was cool letting the now departed future Hall of Famer take the final shot.
He never felt threatened to the point of having to tell everybody he was the franchise cornerstone, and even internationally his "I'll Do It" mantra was integral to Team USA winning gold at the Olympic Games in Paris.
The 29-year-old has seen head coaches come and go, and these days is surrounded by a feisty group that is not a serious contender to win it all. There is no doubt this is his team, yet he still looks to get others involved and has changed his playing style several times when the team needed it.
The Valley doesn't take Booker's leadership style for granted, but it has been such a constant within the organization that it has become overlooked. It is part of what makes him so special and ensures the Suns are an appealing destination, and it will never change as long as Booker calls Phoenix home.
