Devin Booker Breaks Charles Barkley’s Suns Record as NBA Legend Watches From Courtside

Devin Booker celebrates his record-breaking performance as Charles Barkley watches from courtside.© Ndtv Gallery

Devin Booker scored 43 points to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 131-122 win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, setting a new record for the most points in a Suns home opener. Charles Barkley, whose previous mark Booker broke, watched the game from courtside. After the win, Booker spoke about his respect for Barkley and other former Suns stars who helped build the team's place in Phoenix. The 29-year-old shot 17-of-25 from the field and added seven rebounds and seven assists. His performance helped Phoenix recover from its opening-week loss, while the Warriors struggled without several key players, including Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

Devin Booker Pays Tribute To Charles Barkley After Breaking Suns Record

Booker's 43 points surpassed Barkley's record of 37, set during his Suns debut against the Los Angeles Clippers on November 7, 1992. Barkley joined Phoenix after a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers and became one of the franchise's best-known former players.

Booker made it clear that breaking the record was not just about his own performance. Speaking after the game, he said he wanted to show respect to the players who came before him.

“Those are all guys I have, you know, relationships with. And I always, you know, do my part to pay homage to them,” Booker said when asked about breaking the franchise record in front of Barkley and other Suns legends. “You know, I know the relationships between the older generation, the new generation isn't always the best. So, you know, I go out of my way and, you know, pay my respects. Those guys laid the groundwork for us, especially in this city, too. They made it a basketball town and, you know, they're the reason the fans are here and, you know, why they cheer as loud as they do.”

Barkley was at the arena alongside other former Suns players, including Alvan Adams and Shawn Marion, to watch Phoenix's home opener.

Devin Booker's Second-Half Scoring Helps Phoenix Suns Beat Warriors

Booker did much of his damage after halftime, scoring 24 of his 43 points in the second half. His shooting kept Phoenix ahead as Golden State tried to stay in the game.

The Warriors were missing Curry, Green, Brandin Podziemski and Al Horford, along with injured players Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody and Kristaps Porzingis. Despite those absences, rookie Yaxel Lendeborg scored 26 points, while De'Anthony Melton added 25.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr gave Booker credit for keeping up his scoring throughout the night.

“I think he was 8-for-11 on twos in the first half, most of those pull-up jumpers, which we're willing to live with,” Kerr said about Book. “And he kept it going all game. So give him credit.”

The win moved Phoenix to 1-1 early in the 2026-27 season. Booker's record-setting night also gave the Suns a strong home start after their opening loss.