Who is most responsible for the Phoenix Suns’ culture shift?

3. Devin Booker, a symbol of hope, shines upon the Phoenix Suns

Okay, I know what some of you are thinking here: “How in the hell is Booker only third on this list?”

There’s only so much a player not named LeBron James can do to impact a team’s culture. In most cases, players leave teams to escape from what feels like a neverending cycle of disappointment.

We’ve seen it on multiple occasions with all-time great players in recent memory. Mere days ago, James Harden was granted his wish of escaping Houston. Not too long before that, Anthony Davis forced his way out of New Orleans. Even LeBron himself left Cleveland to escape a poor culture, and then he did it again a few years down the line!

When you have teams that are run poorly from the top-down, players eventually have to move on. The clock’s been ticking on Booker’s time in Phoenix ever since it became clear that he’s a star-caliber player. Though Booker is a great example for his teammates with strong leadership qualities on and off the court, he’s not able to change the culture of his team without assistance and leadership stemming from the franchise itself.

It may be obvious to state, but Devin Booker can’t stand losing. No one in the NBA says they can stand losing, but Booker is dead serious about it. The only reason he’s still in Phoenix is because of what they’ve established over the last few years and who established it. He may be the biggest cog in crafting a winning basketball team in Arizona, but he can’t be given credit for building the culture itself.

That’s not his fault either — Booker was drafted as an 18-year-old fresh out of college. He’s been a model citizen for the team and is easily their best player since Steve Nash. Still, Booker’s gradually worked toward finding his voice as a leader and tone-setter in the NBA. He’s made phenomenal progress in that regard but he’s far from finished.