Devin Booker feels Suns set foundation for ‘championship basketball’ despite Finals loss

Here is what Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker said after his team’s 105-98 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday night at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

On Suns coach Monty Williams’ emotions in his press conference and what that meant to him:

“I mean, that’s our team. That’s been the name of our team this whole season. We’re an emotional group, we fight hard, we practice hard, we have a lot of fun together and we trust each other and we love each other and we say it all the time. So, we all had a common goal of bringing a championship back to Phoenix and it’s tough to fall short.”

On what he learned from this playoff run:

“I mean, it’s hard to narrow it down to one thing. I think we learned a lot just by being in it. It was a lot of our first times in the playoffs, let alone the Finals. But it was a great experience for us. I think we set a foundation and a base for our team, and we all have stuff to work on and we understand that. So, we’re going to take this hurt and bring it into the summer and continue to get better.”

On how soon he’ll be back working in the gym:

“I got to get on a flight in a couple hours, I think out to Tokyo (for the Olympics). So, I’ll be on the court soon.”

On the vibe of the Suns’ locker room after their loss:

“Silent. Just a lot of emotion. It’s a long season, we went through a lot.”

On Suns starting point guard Chris Paul being so close to his first championship but falling short:

“I mean, our whole group, again, you know, I got a Chris question before, but all of us wanted it. All of us wanted it. But, I heard what coach Monty said about people saying you know that solidifies his career, and that’s complete nonsense to the real hoopers out there. But our group, we supported Chris all the way, he led us this whole entire season and this is our first year together. So just developing a relationship, developing a trust amongst each other throughout the whole season and for it to fall short like this it’s tough on all of us.”

On using this season as motivation for next:

“Just keep working. We stressed the details the whole season. We said that the whole season, we were trying to win big and we fell short of that. But like I said, we have a foundation, we have a base for us to learn from, an experience for us to learn from. There’s no moral winners in our locker room, you know what I’m saying? We won the Western Conference Finals or whatever it is, we’ll look back 50 years from now and be able to make those calls. We wanted to win a championship.”

On the foundation he felt like the Suns built for future seasons:

“Championship basketball and nothing less than that. So, going into next season on a Tuesday night playing against (the) Cleveland (Cavaliers), if we don’t have it, we will be quickly reminded about the details and if you don’t want to give it your all right now, what can happen and this feeling right now that we’re feeling can happen. So, this isn’t something you want to feel. I haven’t felt a hurt like this in my life. So, that’s what I say when I know we have a base and a foundation, just championship basketball at all times.”

On the Suns perhaps needing to build more experience to win on this stage:

“I mean, we can say that now. I mean, our goal was to skip a lot of steps as a team, like I said, with our first time in the playoffs and making a Finals run. So, I would say we skipped a few steps, but we didn’t get to the ultimate goal.”

On his individual growth this postseason:

“I don’t like to talk about myself a lot, but it’s far from a spot-up shooter when I came into the league, the reputation that I had. But I just want to play winning basketball at all times. I don’t really care what people think of me or what they say about my game, they haven’t walked in these shoes and experienced what we just went through. So, us as a group, we keep this in home and we just, it’s a constant pursuit just to better ourselves, better ourselves as basketball players, as men, as teammates, as brothers and that we just continue to get better.”

On what this playoff run inspired in him as a competitor:

“Just got to experience it. Experience is the best teacher. So, I think all of our games have gotten better and like I said, we understand how important each possession is now and this feeling, I keep talking about the hurt, you know, you don’t want this and this is what you strive for, this is what you go into the summer with and you take it and use it as fuel.”