Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker’s high school jersey officially retired at Moss Point

Summer trips to Moss Point turned into daily workouts in a gym Devin Booker and his father affectionately referred to as “The Dungeon.”

Arthur Haynes Gym is where the Phoenix Suns’ star found his confidence, honed his craft and launched himself first into the McDonald’s All Star Game, then Kentucky basketball, and eventually to the NBA.

All of the memories came rushing back Saturday as the school and city, in front of the entire Phoenix roster, officially retired his No. 2 jersey.

“It’s a humbling feeling,” Booker said. “I’m glad I got to bring the coaches, the team to feel and see where I come from.”

Booker also announced he and his father would be working with the school to install a brand new court and new locker rooms for the basketball program.

“We put in a lot of work (in this gym),” Booker said. “Blood, sweat, tears. I learned a lot. I’ve taken those values and everything I learned to the big stage from a small town like this.”

Booker said the culture, the rivalry between Moss Point and Pascagoula, and the flood of memories made him feel as if he had been in Moss Point for longer than three years.

Before him, his father, Melvin, played at Moss Point and had his No. 15 jersey retired well before the younger Booker arrived.

Booker credits a lot of his growth to his father and the city in which he spent the majority of his high school career.

“It brought a lot out of me,” Booker said of his time as a Tiger. “I think there were some things within me I had to learn to figure out. Starting with confidence... grit. Everybody takes a lot of pride in this city and this town. I’m one of those people that stand on the city of Moss Point.”

Speakers shared stories about Booker’s time roaming the halls and dominating the hardwood. Principal Boyd West relayed memories of a competitiveness that extended off the court, including the time Booker, who carried a 3.7 GPA, tweeted a dig at Pascagoula over Moss Point’s superior academic scores that year.

When Booker was presented his jersey, he spoke about the gym’s leaky roof, the lack of air conditioning — and the unending gratefulness he had for his experience.

Those issues have since been resolved, as the star guard noted, but they played a key role in his development. When it rained, they would place trash cans on the court to catch the water and act as defenders to maneuver around.

The Dungeon became what Booker called his “happy place.”

“My dad always told me this place builds character,” Booker said. “I didn’t know exactly what he meant by that at the time, but (Suns) coach Monty (Williams) has a saying, ‘reps remove doubt.’ This place right here is where I got my reps in and doubt was removed.”

Booker averaged more than 32 points per game in his senior season and his currently on the cover of the most recent NBA 2K video game.

He’s a three-time NBA All Star, the youngest player in NBA history to score 60 points in a game, and has a gold medal from representing USA in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.