Following the Phoenix Suns’ 115-97 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, former teammates Devin Booker and Ty Jerome exchanged jerseys. Both players carried the jersey to their respective postgame media availability.
“That’s my rook, man,” said Booker after the game as he showed off the signed Thunder jersey from Jerome.
“Booker is kinda like my vet. So I learned a lot from him on the court, off the court,” said Jerome with Booker’s jersey by his side. “Those are my guys man. … We’re still cool.”
Jerome was drafted 24th in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft and spent his rookie season with the Suns. That season, then-fifth-year player Booker had his first All-Star season: He averaged 26.6 points on 61.8 true shooting percentage.
Jerome spent only one season in Phoenix before moving to Oklahoma City in the Chris Paul trade. This is Jerome’s second season in Oklahoma City, and he has played sporadically as one of the older players on the roster. The Thunder have prioritized player development these last two seasons. With Jerome on the older side of the curve at 24 years old, he has played sparingly even if his talent and shooting justify a larger role. On Wednesday, with the Thunder already undermanned due to a number of players in the league’s health and safety protocol, Jerome started in place of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was a late scratch due to right ankle soreness.
In Jerome’s second start of the season, the 24-year-old finished with a career-high 24 points to go along with eight rebounds, five assists and three steals in 35 minutes of action.
The Thunder have preached the “Next Man Up” mentality all season long and as cliché as it is, Jerome’s performance exemplified that.
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